Karma: Take me home
by Pluh
Summary: Picking up a little after 'Karma; Take me away' ended. Liara T'Soni and Kerry Shepard are beginning their lives together that they fought so hard for as the galaxy around them rebuilds. Watch through the eyes of the Normandy crew members as they see for the first time their home worlds and the destruction left in the Reapers wake. Rated M for reasons
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hello all and welcome to my second story in the Karma series...'Take me home' ...it will mainly be about Liara T'Soni and Kerry Shepard but certain chapters will show the rebuilding efforts of each world through the eyes of some of the Normandy crew as well as others. But the main storyline will follow Shepard and Liara as they come to grips with everything that has happened and the start of their family. Won't be as angsty as the last one but those of you who have read my last story and for some reason think I am evil know that the fluffy goeyness will only last for so long. **

**This first chapter will touch on some things that happened in the last story that I didn't bring any closure to and certain chapters will continue to go along the same line but not too many. **

**I am still going to have each chapter connected to a song but it will be a mixture of everything not just the crap I listen to. Thanks again for taking the time to read this and I hope you all enjoy.**

* * *

**Sklyer Grey**

**"Coming Home"**

I'm coming home... I'm coming home

Tell the world I'm coming home

Let the rain wash away ...all the pain of yesterday

I know my kingdom awaits... and they've forgiven my mistakes

I'm coming home, I'm coming home

Tell the world that I'm coming...home

* * *

Home, it isn't much but it is theirs, at least for the foreseeable future. To finally be able to call somewhere home gives the Asari a feeling she hasn't had for a very long time, a sense of peace. Taking a deep calming breath, as much as she can anyway due to the thickness of the air, Liara looks out over the vast landscape of the planet they are currently residing on and she smiles again for what feels like the hundreth time.

The planet of _Intai'sei_ can only be described as dry and hot with little to no protection from the scorching sun and due to the lack of fertilized soil and the limited water supply, food is at a premium even with the support of each government sending aid to those that they can. It is a program that was set up by the council after they decided to call a meeting and invite any race that wanted to be included. It was decided that aid would be given to anyone that needed it as long as they registered with the local governments before traveling through the relay to the respective system and planet. This would have caused a problem for someone who is trying to hide, whether from an illegal stand point or what Liara's plans were but having the use of the Normandy and Spectre Williams clearance made it a simple process.

After everything that had happened and all that Liara had said to the Asari councilor, Tevos finally listened. She went to her counterparts and went over everything the young Maiden had mentioned to her. Reiterating the fact that none of them listened at a time when it was a necessity. The others, minus Hackett argued that it's easy to look at their ignorance to Shepard's warnings and how were they to believe a story as far fetched as the Commanders, when the proof was only being given by one source? Tevos was adamant that that was the problem, no one listened, and it's the reason all of their home worlds were nearly destroyed. They had been put in their positions and were expected to do everything in their power to protect their people and they didn't. If they were to continue to be in their current position then steps are to be taken to ensure the faith that was there can be reestablished once again as the majority of the council races were calling for them to step down. No matter what the future held for any of them, Tevos was adamant about all of them helping in the recovery efforts siting, they themselves may have not been the cause of all the destruction across the galaxy but when it came down to it, they only got involved once it was too late.

Hackett had been impressed with the Asari's words, how she was able to convince the two other relatively stubborn councilors to see where mistakes were made and agree to her plan of aiding all those who were in need, not just council races. He became even more surprised when Earth was the first planet offered assistance. Everyone knew about the Human planet being unstable and eventually becoming uninhabitable but the Admiral never thought that after being stuck in the sol relay for so long that anyone would volunteer to come back and help. He was proven wrong as countless members of each race began to come through the relay and provide assistance where needed. He knew it would be a long slow process but with everyone's help it would make it that much more easier.

* * *

Liara had only stayed one day on Hackett's ship so they could fit the Commanders body with a sealed medical bed so travel would not be an issue. Unfortunately, with how the bed was set up, it almost looked like a coffin. The same type of coffin Liara had opened to look at her love one last time before giving Shepards body over to Cerberus. Liara had to remind herself on multiple occasions as they walked from the Adimirals ship to the Normandy that the person they were all escorting was in fact alive, just sleeping. No one really knew exactly what lengths the Asari went to in order to get Shepards body back after the Collector attack, but everyone in attendance had a feeling Liara was reliving it.

The only one who had an idea of the dark thoughts the Asari was dealing with was Miranda and she made sure she was there for Liara with each step. Liara was grateful at the small gesture Lawson had done. It made it easier to remember that she and Shepard were travelling to their new home and would now have a future together, a future they both fought for with every ounce of strength they had, just so they had a chance to create more moments together. It was still hard seeing her love in the medical hover bed but she knew Chakwas and Miranda would not give her false hope. They told her Shepard would soon wake since her injuries were not severe but the lasting effects of the drugs the Commander was given needed to be purged from her system.

No one who had examined Shepards blood could say with any certainty that there wouldn't be permanent side effects from the drug but all gave her a clean bill of health, even prior to her waking up. Lawson was confident in her work and the only necessary steps Liara had to take was a simple blood test every few months to see that the implants and nanites were doing what they were designed for. The Commanders heart trnasplant still concerned her bondmate but with the advances in medical technology over the years the Asari was assured it would not be an issue.

The two friends went over everything Lawson had done in order to extend both of their lives. The process was long and drawn out but Liara had understood all that Miranda had said to her, with regards to Shepards cellular degeneration. The process in which the ex-Cerberus operative slowed her aging down, thus increasing her age, while a medical breakthrough, had been talked about by everyone who studied genetics. It was even studied extensively in the Asari's schooling, how each races age expectancy is based off of these strands. How everyone has these cell strands attached to their DNA and each time the cells divide they become shorter and closer to the cell dying as well as the host. However, no one could make the theories come true until Lawson was succesful. It took her years to develop and perfect and in the end she performed a miracle and gave the two heros the opportunity to be together for centuries. Miranda would be considered the greatest scientist ever but that would only pose more problems so her creation must be kept quiet.

What Miranda had done to extend Shepard's, and her own life was to lengthen each of these strands. The implants were to work along with the nanites to slow the process in which they divide and keep her organs functioning properly. Liara was worried about her new heart being rejected by the synthetics but was reassured multiple times by Lawson that as long as the Commander stayed away from people who wanted to shoot her at a constant, which had been a long list, they'd be with each other for a long time.

X

X

X

X

Looking out at the landscape of their home, Liara starts to think back to the last time her and her friends were together. They were on the Normandy, a ship they called home for years, and we're discussing a rare subject, peace. They were traveling to the planet her and Shepard were going to stay on and at the time the Asari was content with staying quiet and listening to what everyone was discussing. It didn't seem possible that they'd be given the opportunity to be here discussing their futures instead of how to destroy an enemy, or what system and planet they had to go to next and save.

They are all on a ship that had been designed and calibrated for one purpose, war. It gave the Alliacne an edge with its advanced technology but it is much more than that to those who served on it. It has been home for some, a beacon of hope for those that are in need of help, yet it has one thing in common, memories of friends. Some still here, some that sacrificed it all and are now imortilized on the memorial wall but all of them have left a lasting impression in the Asari's heart.

The more she looks around the more she realizes she is in the place where her and Shepard would talk for hours when she first came onboard. It isn't the SR-1, but the memories are there, of the times spent talking while they were chasing after Saren. Not knowing what the future held but they wanted to make the most of their time together. They'd spend hours talking about anything and nothing, just so they could spend time together. Knowing they felt something for one another but not sure if they should act. By the grace of the Goddess they ended up admitting how they felt and soon after acted upon those feelings. Smiling at her memories of her beloved and how confident the Commander was with everything she did, but how nervous she'd get in the Asaris's presence. Everytime her and Liara were alone the Commader would trip over her words, fearful that she'd say the wrong thing.

These are just some of the memories of the times spent with her friends and loved ones and they always cause the Asari to smile. As Liara sits listening to her friends talk about what the reports were saying about the different systems and planets she can feel the tears run down her face. It was then that she realized this may be the last they'd time spend together on the Normandy. They had all been through so much together on the Alliacne vessel and the Asari knows she will see her friends but not as frequent but at least they had futures to look forward too. Her thoughts move to those that are no longer here.

Those that were lost over the course of the war like Kaiden, her mother and even Saren. What she had said was the truth, she felt sorry for the Turian. Then there are the more recent deaths in Javik, Jacob, Thane and Mordin. Liara only really knew the Prothean, only breifly knowing the others but it is still hard to deal with. Kerry had served with them, and just like any other crew member that served with her, formed a bond with them all.

The hardest ones to think about are the more recent friends that survived the war only to give their lives later on. Each of them like Vega, Engineer Adams and even Rebecca Finch all died heroes trying to help. It is difficult to think about any of them but the Asari knows that each of them gave their lives so they could all have a future to look forward to.

Her thoughts move to what her and Shepards life will be like now that there isn't a war to fight. She wishes her beloved was awake so they could enjoy these moments. The other problem Liara has is that she still doubts that her decision to 'runaway' with the Commander was the correct one and in a way was dreading Shepard waking up and being furious with her for making a decision of this magnitude. At the time it was the only thing the Asari could come up with after Shepard had asked her to take her home. Her thoughts on Kerry's negative reaction to the decision made, were eased a bit once again by the Normandy's doctor. As Chakwas sits down in front of the distracted Asari, Admiral Hacketss voice comes over the ships comm system informing all Alliacne personnel that shore leave would be cut short due to the evacuation of Earth.

Hackett had only told Liara initially, that Earth may have to be evacuated as the atmosphere was extremly unstable and with the damage that had been done feared permanent. It is doubted that the once all human world would ever be habitable again. When the Admiral spoke about this to the Normandys crew everyone was saddened at the news especially Ashley. She had grown up on Earth along with her family and she knew the evacuation process was not going to be easy for anyone. It had only been a little more than a few months since the Reapers attacked, only three since they were defeated but the affects were to be felt now and for generations to come.

After everyone made there way to their respective stations, Garus making sure his travels brought him to the bridge to pick on Joker some more due to him leaving in the middle of everything, the two doctors were left alone to talk but not before Garus announced his intentions of making fun of the ships pilot once again. Apparently when the engineers of the Normandy were called back to the ship someone let it slip that EDI may have been able to be brought back online. The Turian found it easier to ask if a bird had pooped on the windshield causing the Alliance pilot to clean the whole ship with Traynor's toothbrush and he wanted to continue with his abuse of the lieutenant.

Liara and Chakwas both were still smiling after Garus had made his leave. Appreciating the fact that even with all the horrific news coming out and all the death that had been witnessed there was still hope left and certain peoples sense of humor was still there. Even with the laughter that sometimes seemed forced, being at a higher level than expected, the sadness is still there. Liara's thoughts went to Traynor and everything that had transpired over the course of the war and more recently. The Asari was saddened at the news from Chakwas after the specialists surgery was complete, even though she would recover from her wounds, Samantha would never walk again. The Commander didn't kill the Alliance specialist and Liara was grateful but it is just something else to add to the long list of shit that Shepard would be dealing with.

With everything that was transpiring the Human doctor knew the Asari sitting in front of her still seems to be questioning everything. Even after the Admiral all but told her to go and recover, they deserved the break and the galaxy would rebuild without them. Liara seemed to be doubting all of it and once again Chakwas happily found herself being the voice of reason. Since the Asari came on-board the Normandy all those years ago she had found herself at one time or the other talking to both Liara and Shepard and in the beginning it was about getting both of their heads out of their asses and admit thier feelings for each other.

During the mission against the Collectors, the doctor had received messages from the information broker after they left illium, asking about Shepards well being. Liara pleaded with the older Human not to say anything about her inquiries and as much as the doctor wanted to yell at the both of them again, she did what was asked of her. After the shadow broker was killed and they were reunited and again after the Reapers invaded and the war began they continued on with their romance. Chakwas was relieved because they needed each other for support but still found herself every once in a while talking with the both of them.

It was never anything serious and most of the time it was about Shepards lack of experience in relationship matters. But Karin had a feeling Shepard was being her humorous self and dragged poor Liara in as well. Their talks would consist of Shepard asking what color bonding bracelet she should get, wanting to get her favorite color blue but didn't think anyone would be able to see it. Or Liara would come into the med bay and ask how long it took for human hair to grow back. And if Shepard would get mad if the Asari were to shave her lovers head, wanting to keep it for herself as she was infatuated with it. Insane discussions that would leave Chakwas shaking her head, wondering how she got so _lucky_ with the two of them constantly going to her with their rediculous queries. Mainly they did it because the two of them tried to test the doctors patience by coming up with some of the most rediculous questions and knew she'd listen.

This was different though, this seemed to just be a continuation of the two doctors conversation a few days prior, if the look on the Asari's face was any indication. The same one where Liara was second guessing herself as to whether or not the Commander would feel like the Asari abandoned her and Chakwas knew once again exactly what Liara needed to hear.

"Liara, I do hope you believe me when I say that Shepard will be fine with this decision and I too believe it is the best way for the both of you to recover from all this madness that's happened...as long as you are with each other I can think of nothing else that will help in your healing. The galaxy will still be here with its problems whether the two of you are in the middle of it or not...let someone else have a turn for once. You two have done nothing but hog all the attention of every homicidal maniac roaming the traverse...We'll take it from here."

Again the Asari finds the doctors words comforting and even though that is not everything on her mind, Liara is grateful for having met such a kind and caring person. Chakwas took them both under her wing and guided them when she could. Liara felt bad for driving the poor woman crazy with their questions, even though Shepard was to blame for the majority of them. Still the idea of shaving Shepards hair was still an option, especially now that she is asleep. But the Asari only had one thing to really say and it was hard for her to even form the simple words as they were not substantial enough for how she truly felt for the Human woman in front of her.

"Actually doctor all I wanted to say was thank you. For everything you've ever done for us. I didn't want this to be goodbye even though it feels like it is. But I need you to know something...ever since I was younger and even up until a few years ago I always felt like I had a void in my life. Mainly due to not knowing who my father was and before I met all of you the void was bigger since Benezia and I were estranged for so long. Then I came aboard the Normandy and gained everything I thought lost. All the friends I made in Garus, Tali, Wrex and even Ashley. I found love hear with Shepard and ...a mother in you. Words can not properly justify what you all mean to me so again I wanted to say thank you."

Trying to keep her emotions in check at the heart felt words that were just said to her the doctor can only think of what Liara had said earlier to the Admiral, about how Shepard rememerbed everything he had done for her and was grateful to him. Chakwas wondered if the Asari was only trying to upset everyone then leave. She knew the archeologists intentions were good but was still having a difficult time forming words.

Liara even had Tali and Garus upset. Tali had come running out of the med bay with Garus in tow, sobbing. Initially Chakwas thought something had happened to the Commander but the Turian clarified everything due to the fact that Tali was almost hyperventilating that the Asari's heart felt words were a little too much for the Quarian and himself as well, even though he'd never admit to it. Taking a deep breath to calm her emotions Karin smiles at the young maiden in front of her.

"Well...you certainly know how to make a girl cry and no this isn't goodbye my child...after all there is a baby and a wedding to prepare for."

X

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Now as Liara turns to enter her home she can only smile at everything that had transpired only a few weeks ago. She wishes Shepard would wake up so she can share it all. She is also getting lonely even though Kerry was next to her every night. And as she reaches the door panel and it opens, walking into the kitchen to put the rations and some equipment away she hears a noise. It is subtle and Liara is unsure of what it is but moves to investigate. The closest area that had any sign that there is or was life on the planet is almost a four hour shuttle ride so she doubts anyone has broken in, yet she still has her pistol and biotics at the ready.

Walking through the smaller prefab home finding nothing until she reaches their bedroom. Her heart feels like it is soaring to new heights as the one thing she has wished for over the past few weeks has finally come true. Her one true love Kerry Shepard is awake and looking back at her with beautiful green eyes as the now speechless Asari is the only being in the universe. Liara loves the way that Shepard would look at her. Even witout saying a word the Asari knew what her bondmate was thinking, how she feels, and it amazes the Asari Maiden how each time the Commanders gaze falls upon her she can feel all the love that Shepard has for her.

Moving as quickly as her feet can carry her she almost jumps into awaiting arms, kissing every part of her lovers face as she can. To be able to feel her loves touch again has taken all the worry away. This is the time for them to be together, a time for their love for each other to reach new heights. To be with each other once and for all without a mission or a war to tear them away from one another. This is their time and nothing would pull them apart, they were home.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:Thank you all for the reviews follows/ favs **

**Ok so this chapter is something that has been brewing for waaaayyy too long. Call it pent up frustration on my part for wanting to write more chapters like this in my last story but it didn't fit or call it...I have put these two through so much they deserve it ...either way there is a huge...HUGE... FLUT/ MA... ( fluff and smut) warning for this chapter.**

** Part of it was inspired by a pic on deviant art with Femshep and Liara that filled my head with all types of ideas and other things but we wont get into that...well actually we are getting into that so you've been warned.**

**Not going to be too many of these chapters in the main story but we will see. I've seen other writers on here have separate stories for the more smutty chapters so ill probably be following suit. **

**And so I leave you in the capable hands of this next singer, mainly because she's hot.**

* * *

Beyonce

**XO**

Your love is bright as ever (ever, ever, ever)  
Even in the shadows (shadows, shadows, shadows)  
Baby, kiss me (kiss me, kiss me, kiss me)  
Before they turn the lights out (lights out, lights out, lights out)  
Your heart is glowing (glowing, glowing, glowing)  
And I'm crashing into you (into you, into you, into you)  
Baby, kiss me (kiss me, kiss me, kiss me)  
Before they turn the lights out (the lights out)  
Before they turn the lights out (the lights out)  
Baby, love me lights out

In the darkest night hour (in the darkest night hour)  
I'll search through the crowd (I'll search through the crowd)  
Your face is all that I see  
I'll give you everything  
Baby, love me lights out  
Baby, love me lights out  
You can turn my lights out

We don't have forever  
Ooh, baby daylight's wasting (wasting, wasting, wasting)  
You better kiss me (kiss me)  
Before our time has run out  
Mmmhh yeah...  
Nobody sees what we see  
They're just hopelessly gazing, oh  
Oh, baby, take me, me  
Before they turn the lights out  
Before our time has run out  
Baby, love me lights out

In the darkest night hour (in the darkest night hour)  
I'll search through the crowd (I'll search through the crowd)  
Your face is all that I see  
I'll give you everything  
Baby, love me lights out  
Baby, love me lights out  
You can turn my lights out

* * *

The week since Shepard woke up went by in a blur and Liara has spent the last few moments trying to figure out how it went by so fast. They had spent the entire first night just holding each other until they both fell asleep. Waking up together was pure bliss and even though Shepard is still feeling the effects of the sedatives, the only thing they wanted to do that morning was be intimate with each other until sleep claimed them both once again.

Now it's all the Asari can think about as she watches her shadow broker feeds. It's the only thing she wants to think about besides their future and is anxious to get back to the arms of her lover as quickly as she can and not much of her work is being accomplished. Not that Liara has much to do as most of her agents were killed in the war but those few who are still around have been sending her daily updates with regards to the recovery efforts. The majority of her equipment had been destroyed by the Asari herself after hearing the false news feed of Shepard's demise and with the time she had between arriving at their new home and Kerry waking up, set up her new network.

It is smaller than the one on the Normandy but Liara has made it a point not to have this be a distraction as any and all time she has is to be spent with her bondmate. Shepard is currently taking another shower, the first was right after they woke up and now is due to her wanting to keep up on her rehab. Even though the commander wasn't happy with having to do it at the hospital she knows it is important for her recovery.

Liara is tempted to join her but she is waiting to hear about the status of some of her agents since she had deployed them to her friends planets. Most are reporting back the same thing, that the different worlds were recovering but the process is extremely slow. Help is needed everywhere and the Asari realizes that even though the broker network wasn't used for this type of work originally, Liara was changing the entire function of her network. If neither of the war heroes were going to physically be involved in the recovery and rebuilding for the near to distant future then they'd do the next best thing. They'd be able to keep an eye on as much of everything as they could as recruitment efforts were already in place in order to gain more agents so both Shepard and Liara we're content with offering their assistance from afar.

With all the worrying the Asari did about the decisions she made during the Commanders time in a coma her lover is more than understanding as to why Liara made the choice to come to this planet. It's remote, quiet and mainly uninhabitable so no one will bother them. Shepard could only smile warmly at her bondmate when the Asari was hesitant at telling her. Kerry felt Liara needed to know once and for all that no matter where they were, even a burnt out factory on Earth, it didn't matter, as long as they were together.

Their current living situation couldn't be more perfect for the Human as it is exactly what she imagined going home would be like and to be able to live with the one person she loves in solitude. They both know the prefab home is temporary and a more permanent home needed to be found eventually due to the new addition to their family. Plus the fact that Shepard does not want Liara giving birth, being so far away from a doctor.

Liara has had to reassure her bondmate multiple times that she and the baby are scheduled for routine exams with a doctor from Thessia that she had gotten a hold of when they first arrived on the planet. Aethyta had set it up and everyone was promised anonymity through the entire process but the young Maiden has a feeling her sire made some subtle threats if word were to get out. Liara has a warmth go through her heart at the thought of everything that she has gained over the course of the war.

Friends who would do anything for her, to include a one time Cerberus agent and a Krogan battlemaster. Smiling and shaking her head a little at the thought of an 'ice queen' and a tough battle master who were in all actuality warm and caring. Maybe not those exact words but they are the most appropriate the Asari can currently think of. Those words can even be used to describe her father, who is someone that could make a thresher maw cringe just with her vocabulary alone. After they got settled and Liara made contact with the Matriarch, the older Asari made it a point to call to check in everyday which made Liara's smile grow that much more. Chakwas, Hackett and Tevos all had made contact with the councilor surprising the the Maiden by telling her Aria even made an inquiry about how they we're doing and if Shepard had woken up yet.

At the time the Commander was still sedated and Liara wished her love was awake at that point due to the fact that she didn't believe the words spoken to her from the councilor and doubted Shepard would either. Liara decided to wait until her next discussion with her father to ask why the interest from the queen of omega all of a sudden as she truly doubted Aria enjoyed her 'kiss' with the Commander that much. Shepard had been more than apologetic when the topic was brought up and Liara was annoyed at the Omega leaders behavior but understood for the most part. She was grateful for Shepard helping her take back Omega and was never one for kind words of thanks so she did the only thing she knew. Liara trusted Shepard without question and did not get mad at the situation, still she locked it away for future reference whenever her bondmate decided she feels like teasing her.

As her memories fade and she focuses on the time, Liara begins to wonder where Kerry is and starts to get up when she feels a strong arm snake around her. A warm hand caresses the slight swell of the Asari's stomach. Interlocking blue fingers with her bondmates cream colored ones the Asari leans back into the embrace. Everytime they feel each other's touch they always desire more. Now with it being possible to feel each other's bodies pressed up against one another whenever they want, instead of moments that always felt rushed that they had to deal with during the war, gives each of them a sense of gratitude for everything that has happened.

To be with each other without worry of being pulled away at a moments notice has caused each of them to revel in these moments. Shepard leans closer to the side of Liara and kisses her cheek. Closing her eyes the Asari leans her head into the Commanders, trying desperately to feel more of her lover.

"Everything ok?" Shepard asks as she continues to hold onto the Asari. The Human cant help but smile each time she thinks about her future and the family she never thought she'd have.

"Everything's perfect." Liara answers back, continuing to crave more of her bondmate's caresses. Even the slightest touch is causing the Maiden to want more.

"That's good to hear but I don't want to distract you so..." Shepard says as she begins to pull away a little. She doesn't want to leave her loves side but knows the Asari wants to help wherever she can.

"Don't leave...I want my focus to solely be on you..." Liara says as she holds onto Kerry's arm, not wanting her to move. "This can wait."

"Ok...but tell me what's happening." Shepard whispers to her, wanting to feel more blue flesh. The Asari only has on a pair of N7 shorts and a tank top that leaves little to the imagination. Kerry loves anything Liara wears, as she looks beautiful in anything, but the sight in front of her is indescribable and the humans need for her blue angel starts to grow.

"Well the reports from Earth are..." The Asari stops mid sentence inhaling deeply as the hand that has been on her stomach moves up under her shirt to cup her breast, callous fingers gently squeezing her dark blue nipple making it erect and more sensitive. Arching her back in the chair slightly to increase the pressure she begins to turn around but is stopped.

"Keep going..." Shepard says as her hands ministrations continue. Wanting to see just how much Liara can take before her lustful need consumes her. "Tell me what is happening on Earth." She continues, a gentle kiss is placed on the side of her crest and the Asari feels a tongue probing in between each dip and crease as if searching for that hidden spot that makes her beg for more. A second hand slides down the sleek form of the Asari until it finds it's destination in between parted legs. Slender fingers slowly find the Asari's azure and begin to work on the sensitive area above her already wet opening, causing the Asari's hips to move forward.

"Goddess...yes...Shep..." Are the only coherent words Liara can manage as the stimulation she is receiving is making it harder to think. Turning her head, trying desperately to kiss her lover, she can only do one thing, so she grabs onto the Humans neck with her mouth gently biting, causing Shepard to moan with pleasure. The Asari's hand lets go of the chair and grabs a hand full of blonde hair pulling Kerry in closer, her other hand squeezing the armrest trying to keep herself from tackling her beloved to the ground.

Wanting to continue her little game, Shepard slowly touches every sensitive part she knows so well, as the noises coming from her Asari is driving her crazy.

"What about Thessia...any news?" She whispers, finding it nearly impossible to not pick the Maiden up and take her on the bed now. Sliding two fingers into her lovers wet azure, Shepard has to hold on as the Asari nearly falls out of the chair, pushing her hips forward to feel more contact.

"Kerry...please." The Asari begs, not able to take anymore.

Finally moving around to face her lover Shepard gazes into Liara's beautiful diamond eyes that have started to darken. She holds her gaze as she continues curling her fingers inside her lover, wanting to see more of the look of desire she's receiving in return. The Commander brings their mouths together in a passionate filled kiss that only has the two of them wanting more. Tongues glide easily into each other's mouths. Pulling back a little she can see how badly her Asari wants to meld, be one mind and block out everything else, only focusing on each other. Still wanting to wait a little longer Shepard stops everything she is doing for a moment.

"Do you know how much I love you?"

"Yes...Goddess Shepard...I am yours...take me please."

"I will but...You still haven't told me about Thessia." Reaching behind her to grab a data pad, placing it into the Asari's lap. She has no idea, nor cares what it says and realises Liara is about to come undone as her own need is being pushed. But the sound of her loves voice, trying in vain to say the words Shepard wants to hear, is making this moment all the more of a turn on.

"Read this to me... While I make you feel as good as you've made me."

Kissing her cobalt blue lips once more she starts to lick and nip her way down to each of the Asari's hardened nipples as her fingers start to move again.

Barely able to control herself any longer the Asari takes the data pad in her hand, trying to focus on what the words say.

"It says...THessia...is...uhh...goddess Kerry meld with me...please!"

It is impossible for Liara to concentrate on anything else except what her lover is doing to her. She can feel herself start to loose control and she is at the brink. As she begins to speak again she feels Kerry's tongue start to lick her azure and her other hand instinctively grabs for the blonde hair she loves so much. Letting go of whatever she had been holding, to grip the arm of the chair again, her head tilts back, the pure blissful pleasure she is feeling is beyond euphoric. Each swipe of Shepard's tongue is followed by two fingers entering her. It's taking all her strength to not enter the Commanders mind but her lover wants to concentrate only on her Asari. Shepard loves being in the meld with Liara but found something even more gratifying in making her lover come before their minds intertwined.

This time seems to be no different but Liara does not want to feel this on her own. Her eyes turn black and she enters her lovers conscience. All the love she feels from her bondmate comes pouring into her and as soon as their minds are joined Liara's orgasm comes crashing over her like a tidal wave. Screaming her loves name as her body starts to convulse from the powerful release, both hands now intertwined in the Commanders hair. The silky strands of hair always feel incredible while they fall through her finger tips but now all her senses are heightened to new levels. Even the slightest touch of Shepard's hair the Asari loves so much is sending her into overload as strands brush against her thighs.

Wanting to taste everything from her love Shepard continues to lick every inch of her lovers opening, not wanting to stop the euphoric state they are both in. She moves her way up slightly until she can feel Liara's hard nub on the tip of her tongue and slowly begins to suck on it, bringing the Asari's desire back full force almost instantly. Two hands pull her up so their eyes can meet as well as lips, tasting herself on Shepards tongue and face, it erupts something primal in the Asari and they both fall to the floor as Liara wants nothing more than for her Human to feel everything she is currently experiencing. The deep meld allows each of them to feel the slightest touches of what they were doing to each other and Liara felt Kerry crash over with her but could still feel the pent up desire just waiting to come to the surface.

It didn't take long for the human to experience what Liara had just felt. Shepard knows her little game may have incited primal feelings from her Asari, the force in which Liara had basically thrown her on the floor and peeled her out of her clothes shocked her a little. Liara, while normally queit and reserved always had a side to her like this that every once in a while came out, and all Shepard could do was hold on. This is no different, as the sight before her is mesmerizing as her lover is in between her legs making Shepard feel as if she'd explode with every movement of her tongue and even the small nips the Asari is doing to the tender skin of each of her inner thighs is pushing her closer.

As much as Liara has her on the edge she also knows how close she too is and stops to give her bondmates wet opening a kiss every so often, driving the human crazy wanting nothing more than for her lover to give her release. As quickly as she was on her back Shepard finds herself encased in biotics, being flipped over, now kneeling over Liara's mouth. Feeling two hands grab her ass and pull her down, she starts to move her hips as the Asari's tongue continues to lick every inch. Eyes rolling back, toes curling, feeling her wetness coating the Asari's tongue and face. Trying to grab onto something as her orgasm finally takes ahold, her entire body stiffens while her lover continues to coax as much pleasure from the human as possible.

"Fuck...Liara!" Shepard moans, her body continues to shudder, the Asari not intent on stopping until she can feel her bondmates body begin to relax. Breathing heavily, sweat lining each of their bodies and a permanent smile on the both of them, the Commander slides down and kisses her bondmate as no words can describe either of their feelings for one another.

Laying in each others arms they are content with not moving, basking in the afterglow of their lovemaking. Since there recent reunion on Earth, the pleasure of each time they were intimate seems to grow and neither one knew how it could get any better but are not going to complain. It's as if knowing each other were alive and living in a galaxy without war drained all the tension away and they finally are able take their time and enjoy each other.

As the meld starts to fade they both make sure one another feels all the love each one has and how grateful they are for having each other in their lives. Before sleep can claim them both, Liara lifts her head up from the Commanders chest to look into her eyes. Her initial look of love is replaced with a seductive grin as she says.

"I love you Kerry Shepard...as amazing as that was I can't wait for your next vid call so I may see if I can ...distract you."

"Hmm I can't...Wait vid call, I didn't..."

"That is true Commander but...how does the human saying go?..'All is fair in love and war'...and this my _amata _is both."


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N; Just a heads up for the next few chapters. I didn't want to just jump right into everything so there's not too much going on just setting up for what's to come a little later...thanks again for all the support : )**

* * *

**The Bravery**

**"Believe"**

The faces all around me they don't smile they just crack

Waiting for our ship to come but our ships not coming back

We do our time like pennies in a jar

What are we saving for

There's a smell of stale fear that's reeking from our skins.

The drinking never stops because the drinks absolve our sins

We sit and grow our roots into the floor... But what are we waiting for?

So give me something to believe

Cause I am living just to breathe

And I need something more

To keep on breathing for... So give me something to believe

Something's always coming you can hear it in the ground

It swells into the air With the rising Rising sound And never comes but shakes the boards and rattles all the doors

What are we waiting for

I am hiding from some beast But the beast was always here

Watching without eyes Because the beast is just my fear

That I am just nothing Now its just what I've become

What am I waiting for Its already done

Oh

So give me something to believe

Cause I am living just to breathe

And I need something more

To keep on breathing for... So give me something to believe

* * *

It was hard to get the image out of her head. Try as she may it continues to haunt her every moment. To know that she was the one who harmed two people she came to care about had been eating away at her since Liara told her about the specialists condition. Shepard knew the Asari was holding back certain things when the commander finally asked how everyone was doing. Initially Liara told her all the good things, things the Asari knew would ease her loves pain and push down any of the guilt Kerry was carrying. The human was relieved that Garus and Tali were both alright and trying to make it work as a couple. She could only shake her head and smile at the news of Ashley and Hackett's assistant dating so to speak as Shepard never thought her friend would even consider trying to have a personal life. Hearing EDI had been brought back online gave her a warm feeling as she felt horrible after Miranda had told her all synthetics had gone off-line. She knew what it meant, knew that Joker was crushed. When she saw everyone in the hospital she noticed he was tentative when she tried to hug him so hearing the news that EDI was operational once more relieved some of the guilt from the choices she made.

Liara knew this conversation would happen and feared the commander would regress and allow the guilt to eat away at her. Initially it seemed that was the direction everything was headed with how Kerry reacted to the specialists paralysis. Yet after a few calming breaths and some more discussion all the tension seemed to drain away after some processing by Shepard. Unbeknownst to the Asari, Shepard was trying to do what her mother or the vision of her mother had said, 'let go of the guilt' and thats exactly what her lover needed to do but it wasn't easy.

"So, besides Javik, everyone survived from the crew after the beam went off...except Adams and James."

"Yes, apparently Vega succumbed to his injuries that were caused by the fire while trying to rescue everyone at the house and ...Adams died protecting Traynor...we do not know Zaeeds whereabouts." Liara tells her bondmate. Expecting her lover to fall deeper into despair at the news that seemed to get worse as the Asari spoke. What Liara did see though surprised her a little. Shepard's lips had curved into a slight smile confusing the Asari momentarily.

"What is it love?" Liara asks.

"Nothing... I was just thinking how even though I'm sorry Vega is gone...he went out a hero...Adams too... Saving friends of ours...trying to help us. Vega was a good friend and had a bright future but..." Her voice trailing off a little as she starts to think of their conversation on Vega joining the N7 program. He would have been a great candidate and his last act of heroism just proved that fact all the more.

"He was a good man and quite fond of you commander." Liara says trying to lighten the mood. "Well maybe not just you...I think the thought of us being together caused his thoughts to wander a little." She finishes with as her own lips curl up into a smile, thinking back to the conversation they all had before arriving on Earth, about their kiss on Mars the commander shared with her love.

"Oh yeah I can only imagine what was going through his head on Mars. Thought his brain turned into mush." Shepard says laughing a little. "He'll be missed though...as far as Zaeed, he's a hard bastard to kill so I'm sure we will see him again and Javik...I'll keep my comments to myself." Shepard says thinking of how much she did not like the Prothean. Mainly for his treatment of Liara but also with his smugness and arrogance, thinking everyone should revel in his greatness, that his people were still the dominant power. He was a great warrior and died how he wanted to, killing Reapers but the galaxy was better off without him. Shepard didn't want to speak ill of the dead yet found herself believing as did Liara that he'd never fully acclimate to this new world, generations after his people had died.

Moving past her current thoughts she continues to ask some questions she herself may not want the answers too. "I guess the one question I've been wanting to ask since being awake is... What happened to the Leviathans?"

"The only information I was given about them was that they too were affected by the beam. After it went off it was reported that they stopped moving...we still don't know why though." Liara answers knowing the reasoning behind this current question. She had felt the Commanders concerns about the subject of the ancient race in almost every meld they had after finding them. The answer seemed to lessen the burden Kerry had been carrying with her.

Relief flooded through her. She knew she had made a deal with the devil when she found the ancient creatures and somehow convinced them to help against the Reapers. Creatures they were responsible for and initially Shepard had thought gaining there help was just that, as time went on she began to regret the fact she even found them. It scared her that after everything was over, after the Reapers were destroyed, that a new enemy would surface and try to control those left that survived the war. The words spoke by her lover calmed her nerves that had begun to build while asking the question. But as one problem seemed to disappear another one took its place.

"Li...if the Geth and EDI were all brought back online then... What's to say someone can't do the same thing to the Reapers. I know it's my usual paranoia, just thinking the worst possible scenario but..."

"Love listen to me. They are gone and you destroyed them. That was the first thing Hackett and the council did after the war ended. All the remains of the Reapers have been or are in the process of being dismantled. Yes there is always a chance that someone can get there hands on one but the council for once, is actually taking the steps to make sure that doesn't happen ... Please do not worry about it... You've burdened yourself so much with guilt over everything...please don't let this drag you down. Your not..." Tears start to form in the Asari's eyes as she desperately wants her love to move forward, so they can move forward. Her words were interrupted by a gentle kiss from her human as the Commander seemed to be able to sense the Asari's thoughts.

"This is why I love you so much...You want nothing more than for me to not be burdened by this. Thank you...for everything you've done... But I was told to let go of the guilt and move on. At first I didn't see how I could but the more the words sank in the more I realized what I have in front of me..." Shepard says smiling towards the one person who could in fact make her forget all the horrors she had endured over the course of her short life. All the pain and anguish were lessened by the Asari in front of her. It would always be a part of her, what she went through and the people she cared for that she lost but with Liara in her life it made it easier.

"Shepard, who told you that?...To let go of the guilt...You never told me."

Laughing at herself and how ridiculous the answer would be she looks down at the bracelet adorning her lovers wrist. She beamed each time she saw it and the meaning behind it. She'd found someone to spend the rest of her days with, who loved her back asking for nothing in return. Looking up, green eyes meeting blue and all the love and acceptance in the woman in front of her made her heart melt a little. Want Liara that much more, if that was even possible.

"Back on the crucible I had said to make sure I didn't end up in anymore hospitals...and you saw why in the meld we did but I didn't show you everything. I don't know why but...seeing them again...my parents and then you..."

Seeing the conflict in her lovers expression, Liara touches Shepard's cheek and slowly enters the commanders mind. The human was having a hard time putting everything into words that had happened and knew the easiest way for Kerry to tell her, was to show her.

"Show me everything...please." Receiving a nod the Asari fully enters her mind and is met with every emotion the commander had. Fear, hurt, anger yet there was love above all else. The memory started to replay with Shepard walking down the hall, seeing all her fallen friends until she reaches the last door. Liara had seen all this before but it was just as traumatizing as the first time, knowing the guilt and anguish her beloved had to relive. The Asari was shown visions of Rebecca and how happy the younger woman seemed to be but there was always a sadness in her eyes and when she took her own life Liara could feel the helplessness Shepard felt. This woman wanted to help her, did help her and in the end needed her own assistance yet no one saw it. Not even her friends knew exactly what Finch was going through but Shepard wished she could have at least been there for her more.

Liara had sent all the love and support she could. Seeing this vision only brought back memories of Virmire and Kaiden, Benezia and even her own parents. Not being able to do anything but watch, knowing someone had died because she was to slow to react. As much as none of it was true Shepard allowed it to consume her and eat away at her confidence in herself as a commander but Liara had been there for her just as much as Shepard was there for the Asari after her mother died. With Rebecca though, they had only known each other for a short time but they became close.

Comforting her bondmate as much as she is able to she encourages Shepard to show her what's on the other side of the last door. Watching as the commander hesitantly walks to the middle of the room then to hear a voice she hadn't heard in years. Turning to see her family, Liara can feel all the conflicting emotions going through the commander. Relief that the vision of her family isn't disfigured like the others. Fear of what the reasoning is behind her mind showing her them and pain at the loss she felt, how alone she was when they passed away.

Seeing them for the first time, Liara tries to push her own thoughts down. The thought of never knowing them, of them never knowing her or their grandchild. The reasoning behind their unborn childs name, to honor their family. The Asari can feel the truth behind the words her parents spoke to her. Her mom telling her to let go of the guilt and her father making a joke, saying he approved of Liara while looking at the picture of her. She knew it was all in the commanders mind but a part of what they were witnessing was an actual representation of how her family was. Kind, caring and loving of one another and the Asari actually felt an acceptance into the humans family. Even though it wasn't Kerry's real parents speaking the Asari surmised that what she had witnessed wasn't too far off from the truth of who her parents really were. Seeing the little girl next to Hannah, Shepards sister, an almost exact image of her love made the Asari begin to tear up. To see someone so young and innocent have their life taken away before she had a chance to become someone special made Liara's heart ache. Wishing she could know her loves family was one thing but seeing them in the vision and knowing they'd never be around made the Asari feel for her love that much more.

Feeling the hesitation from Shepard as the memory moves forward, wanting nothing more than to stop whats to come.

_'Do not pull away...let me be there for you... We will get through this together.'_

_'That's just it Li, you've always been there for me...more so than I have ever been...'_

_'Why would you think that?.. How can you say that?..you were there for me through it all... everything. Even though I pushed you away you still kept trying to find ways to help me, be by my side. Still to this day I can not imagine all that you went through but you did and saying you made it through it all because of me shows just how much you love me, how much you've sacrificed and how much you've been there for me'_

Feeling the commanders tension ease a bit the Asari knew she finally reached her human, made her understand how much she was loved and appreciated through all that had happened and knew no matter what they'd be there for each other for the rest of their days. Feeling the commanders playful nature come back a little she had a feeling as to what Shepard was going to say next.

_'Well I have had a crush on you since the first day we met and I do love the color blue. Plus your hot so...'_

_'Goddess there will be two children I'll have to watch over soon.'_

_'Hey I resent that I ...yeah your right. Li I just want to stop living in the past...live for the now, for us and our baby...not dwell on all the negative anymore. The only thing good it brought me was you.'_

Shaking her head at her loves poor attempt at humor the Asari brings the conversation back to the topic at hand.

_'Let me see, let us both move on from the past together_.'

X

X

X

X

"Admiral Hackett, Khalisah Bint Sinan al-Jilani, Westerlund News, why are we being told the commanders whereabouts are classified? The people have a right to know where she is. Doesn't she feel the need to answer to the accusations that were brought forth against her? That she is a race traitor, doesn't she know that all the secrecy and the hiding is only giving merit to them, causing people to believe that she has truly turned her back on us?" The condescending reporter ask. "Are we to believe that she ran away while we humans are suffering still? It sure seems that way while we are forced to leave our home world. A true hero..."

"Shepard is a true hero. Something you no nothing about. You stand there and demand answers for what exactly?..answers to accusations brought against her by the likes of a mad man... Who only wanted to take over the galaxy and control everything? Is that what the people want to hear? If it is then I will say this, the only reason any of you are even standing here asking me these ridiculous questions is because of her and what her crew did. That is the only answer you will get... If there's nothing else I have a planet to evacuate." The Admiral finishes much to his relief. A press conference had been called in order to let the people of Earth know what was happening as far as the continued relief support and when the evacuation was actually taking place as well as any other information the public needed to know. The conference started out with Hackett giving out contact information to anyone who needed it and fielding any questions related to it but quickly turned into a smear campaign against Shepard with al-Jilani at the front of it.

He had grown tired of her ramblings and constant accusatory statements directed towards the commander. He knew he should have handled it better but had been growing weary of it all and needed the focus to be brought back to the problem at hand, leaving before Earth was too unstable.

He desperately wanted the reports from all the scientists to be wrong but with all the data that he was shown, he knew it was only a matter of time before the planet needed to be vacated. The next problem was where would they all go and how to get there? With the war decimating much of the galaxies population there were an abundant amount of planets to choose from but how many could sustain the amount of humans that needed to be relocated?

Moving the humans was made a little easier by the Quarians. With the majority of their ships repaired and most of their people being on Ranoch rebuilding or building their new homes. Tali and the other Quarian Admirals offered any and all ships to Hackett for as long as they needed them and Hackett knew with the sheer size of each of the Quarian ships made available then the evacuation process would be shorter then expected.

Walking down off of the podium as the crowd of reporters were slowly leaving he is met by his assistant Chief Harris. Harris had always been a good man and he was to be missed as he made a request for a transfer to aboard the Normandy. Hackett had a feeling there was an underlying reason as to why but didn't care even though protocol dictated otherwise. It was no different than what happened with the last commanding officer and a subordinate and truthfully he was happy for the both of them. Williams had always been a great soldier and sacrificed a lot to get where she is today. It took Shepard finding her on Eden Prime to show the Alliance what kind of soldier she was and the Admiral is just happy to be able to utilize the second human spectre. Now he just has to find another assistant as capable as his predecessor.

"Admiral, that went well." He says sarcastically with a heavy sigh. He knew once he made all the preparations and invited the news reporters to the conference it eventually would turn to the topic of the commander. He knew that the fall out from what Cerberus had said needed to be taken care of swiftly but never imagined the rumors and false accusations would be taken seriously against her and he could not fathom how the public had been influenced so easily. One thing he did know and was an advocate for was the destruction of the crucible. After seeing all the trouble went to by Cerberus in order to kidnap the commander and the two Asari in order to try and take over everything, he knew it wouldn't be long before someone else followed suit and tried it again. And with the information leaked by doctor Schneider about how Shepard was the only one able to use the super weapon he feared for her safety. Harris knew that was the main reson for the Asari to take her and go into seclusion and he agreed with her wholeheartedly, but all it would take is one nut with an agenda and superiority complex to try and repeat what Cerberus failed to do.

With everything going on his focus now was on getting a proper replacement for the Admiral and going back to life on a ship. Before he answered directly to the Admiral he had been out among the stars and loved every moment of it. Not having a family of his own made it easier to volunteer for any mission that came up and when it came down to it and Hackett needed to make the decision to replace his former chief who had retired, it was easy. With his service record unblemished and the attention to detail he put forth over his entire career, Harris was an easy choice. Now though, as hard as it will be to leave the side of the Admiral he knew he was going back to his roots. Going back to where he belonged, space. Having a spectre as a girlfriend and the commander of his new assignment made it an easy choice as to where he would serve. They knew the rules but also knew they'd be professional when the time came. He never thought he'd meet anyone like Williams and could only smile each time he thought about her. Harris knew that if two seasoned Marines could come together after all that had happened and as long as each of them were focused on only their careers, that taking the time out for each other would be new but wanted.

Turning his attention to the Admiral he notices how much stress he is under, can see it in the features on his tired face. Shaking his head at the entire situation he says to Hackett.

"Sir I know my transfer isn't coming at the best of times but I hope you understand why I'm doing it."

"Chief you don't have to explain anything. It's important that I have the best available soldiers out there helping. You're needed elsewhere not by my side so take care of yourself especially with the new commander of the Normandy. I hear she gives a lot of shit to anyone new coming on her ship."

"Yeah I heard about that but I don't think I have anything to worry about... You know, since I'm not a blue alien." He says jokingly with a smile. He always enjoyed his private talks with the Admiral. It's the only time either of them were able to be themselves.

"No you're not a blue alien but you are an ass."

"Ah yes that may be true but I'm an ass who made you the best coffee ever and don't you forget it." Holding out his hand shaking the Admirals, he quickly snaps to attention and salutes his friend. "It's been an honor sir."

X

X

X

X

Laying in each other's arms as the both try to process what they saw. Having to relive the memory of Liara getting hurt again brought the same gut wrenching feeling back as it did before. This time was different as Liara had been by her side the entire way but was shocked at the amount of blood, her blood that was covering Shepard's armor and face. It had been difficult to watch as the commander begged anyone who would listen for them to switch places and for Liara to be alright. The vision ended and the two were left to their thoughts on it all. Yet one thing remained out of everything that they witnessed. One thing they knew would be a constant, each other. They needed something to believe in, something good had to come out of all the misery they had to endure. Their bond was the focus for both of them and their future together.

Feeling her love run her blue fingers through her hair had a cathargic effect on the human and could sit there for hours as the Asari had her fun. Shepard was still waiting for the day when she'd look in the mirror and scream as she knew her Asari wanted nothing more than to shave her head. It was never verbalized but once Liara found out it didn't hurt to cut her golden blonde locks she kept eying the razor Shepard had laying around the tub.

Picking her head up to look her Asari in the eyes she smiles again, then leans her head in, wanting to feel more contact, closing her eyes at the feel of her loves finger nails scratching her scalp. Shepard was tempted to start moving her leg like a dog but figured the Asari would not understand and think she was weirder. Opening her eyes again she can see all the love her bondmate has for her and as much as she's enjoying the moment she wants to know Liara was alright with everything she witnessed.

"You sure you are okay with what you saw? I know it was a lot to process but now you see why we can't watch scary movies."

"Yes I am fine and it was a lot to think about but it's over." The Asari's smile growing at the double meaning behind her words. It was all done finally not just reliving the vision, all the fighting was over and done with and their future can finally be concentrated on. "And as far as the vids, I do believe it was your idea to watch them in the first place and I also have it on good authority as to why."

"Oh do you now? From who...who has spread the lies about me? Surely you don't believe them." Kerry says back in a playful tone.

"Why Tali of course and Ashely... Garus, doctor Chakwas, Wrex, eventually Miranda, as well as Aethyta. Adams, Donnelly, oh and we can't forget about Joker...now he told me all about how vids like that were supposed make me...what did he say? Oh yes...jump into your lap." A mischievous grin comes across Liara's face as she slightly shakes her head at her lovers antics.

"Ok so what your saying is the entire god damn ship sold me out...that's just great."

"Yes but did you think I didn't no what you were doing?..That Karin did not inform me that you wanted to watch a scary vid...hoping i'd want to get closer to you?" Sarcasm oozed out of Liara's mouth with the next sentence. "So the great and powerful Commander Kerry Shepard could protect me from all the horrible monsters."

"Alright! I get it...Ladies and gentlemen it is my pleasure to introduce a woman of many talents ...doctor Liara T'Soni, archeologist, shadow broker, reaper slayer and her new career... Comedian." Shepard says with a look of mild annoyance. A smile cracks as she hears Liara giggle a little.

"Commander did you really think you needed to do anything to get me closer to you?"

Becoming shy suddenly the Commander begins to blush, nodding her head yes. "I was never any good at that stuff...wanted to make sure you were interested...guess looking back it was stupid cause you were."

A smoldering look comes across the Asari's features as she rolls over on top of her human. Leaning in for a kiss she enters Shelard's mind and shows the commander how interested she was. Flooded with images of what the Asari's plans were for her, Shepard can only close her eyes and pray shes able to walk in the morning.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Just a reminder that Bioware owns all and I may have gone a little overboard with Liara and her infatuation with hair but it was fun to write.**

* * *

**Taproot**

**"Dragged Down"**

I am just a person like you,

I am just a fuck-up that's true,

but your the only one I'll turn to by my side

everyday and night its time to climb out of this big black hole

even if i can justify that i am alive and alright

your still the one i'll turn to by my side

so I cry alone,

I can't believe you drag me down again,

* * *

Two sets of tired eyes scan the monitors before them, looking for any sign of good news. It had been hours since they started contacting their agents on each world and most of the responses were the same, progress was being made but it was slow going. Earth had been the main focus originally as Hackett had started evacuating the dying planet. Shepard wished she could be there for it all but also knew they were in capable hands. Hackett had given the task of leading the evacuation to commander Ashely Williams and Kerry knew if anyone was capable of the task it was her.

They had only been given a short time of leave after rescuing everyone from Cerberus and it was understood due to the necessity of leaving Earth quickly. Williams was excited at the opportunity she received. Being able to command the Normandy gave her a sense of accomplishment. She knew it would be hard to live up to the former commanding officers legacy but it wasn't about that. It was about being the best soldier and spectre she could be, someone who'd make her family proud. She knew if her grandfather was still with the Williams family he'd do nothing but give her praise and brag to all his friends who he was related to. It saddened the second human spectre that he had passed but she found her mother and sisters safe and that was her main focus. Getting them off the dying planet to a new home, a new life with new possibilities.

* * *

Williams is currently sitting at her desk in the loft aboard the Normandy and is about to contact Shepard on a secure line when she hears the shower door open and a strong arm wrap around her and a kiss placed on her neck. A warm feeling travels through her body as she has finally something else to concentrate on, someone special in her life. They both were new to the idea of dating, both had their careers and were content with their lives but the thought of someone taking an interest in who they were outside of their careers made it nice for once to not be guarded and allow each other in.

"I'm going to start my shift now. Anything you want me to tell the crew?" He says standing up but keeping a hand on her shoulder. He loved this new found intimacy he had went without for most of his life. And he hoped the woman in front of him felt the same. Having a feeling she did but at the same time she was a hard person to read. With that, he also new she had a job to do and he was her subordinate and it would be tough but worth it.

Holding his hand, Williams looks back and smiles. It's times like this that made winning the war that much more better. The anticipation of what's to come of their relationship only helps in the matter and all the doubt she ever had in herself of ever finding someone special disappeared since the chief had been in her life. It had only been a short time since he asked her out but she's enjoyed every moment since.

"No I'll be down soon. I just need to contact Shepard, see how her and Liara are doing."

"Ok, say high for me." He says walking towards the door.

Her call connects and as her lips turn up into a smile as she sees Shepard and Liara staring back at her with the same expression. Having and idea as to why and probably the same reason Ashely has, Williams can only shake her head at the entire situation. Finally some good has come out of the war.

"Skipper, Liara good to see you two again." watching the way the Asari was holding onto the former Normandy commander as she stands behind her with an arm wrapped around her, holding each others hands, gives Williams a good feeling but the temptation to tease is too good to pass up. "Commander, sorry to see your hip surgery didn't go so well." Laughing at Shepard's change in demeanor, lips pursed together in mild annoyance.

"Funny, even for you Ash."

"I dont understand...When did you have hip surgery?" Liara asks in confusion.

"It's an old Earth saying...When two people are in love and never apart from each other... certain people." Shepard says looking at the screen trying not to jump through it. "Say they are attached at the hip or always around each other."

Nodding as she begins to somewhat understand the Asari looks at the screen and says. "Well Ashely I heard you had the same problem." Gaining an embarrassing expression on Ashely but what she said next shocked both the humans. But you'll be happy to know that I'm not only attached to her hip, it's what's in between them..."

"Liara!" Ash and Shepard say at the same time as they both turn crimson.

"So anyway...remind me Ash why I never threw you out of an air lock."

"Please skipper, then who would have covered your six?"

"True...so how's things with my ship and Earth?"

"Your ship is fine but right now we are about to start evacuating people off of Earth. It's going to be a long process but as long as we can get everyone off world with little to no issues safely, then that is the only thing that matters. The biggest problem is that not everyone is taking this seriously and some want to stay. We are already having record seismic activity in areas that never had any problems with earthquakes before and volcanos erupting that have been dormant for years. Then there has been tsunamis hitting everywhere...the ice caps have started to melt at a record pace and the scientists have said that in a months time they'll be gone and so will most of the costal cities. From what they are saying we don't have much time. Hacketts doing all he can to convince everyone but I'd say almost half the remaining population isn't leaving. I don't know what else to do to convince the rest to leave... I mean everyone needs to wear a mask in order to breath, the airs become so toxic!" She finishes running her hand through her black hair. Liara and Shepard could see the stress the Spectre was under. Knew what she was going through yet didn't know what to say or do to even help. Looking back at the screen at her concerned friends Williams forces a smile and says . "At least I got a hold of my family ...they'll be coming aboard the Normandy."

"That's good about your family Ash but as far as everything else you have to remember you can't save everyone...make everyone leave their homes. You'd think after they evacuated for the Reapers it wouldn't be a problem but if people aren't seeing the threat then...why leave? I mean how long did it take for everyone to believe us about them even being real. But besides that wheres everyone headed too?"

Appreciating the sentiment from her friend, Williams smile returns when the topic returns to her family. "The list is short but Horizon, Eden prime, a couple of other places and Mindoir. The planet you're on now was on the list as well but Hackett had it removed for obvious reasons. When asked why, he gave them the excuse that there wasn't enough water to sustain a large population. And right now we are looking for already settled planets so we are hoping those planets will be enough and with the track record of each of them it'll be a miracle if..." Stopping mid sentence as she realizes what she just said.

She knew about the Commanders past, knew how sensitive she was about it and normally Ashely would catch herself but with everything going on it slipped her mind. Seeing Shepard's facial expression crack a little at the mention of her home planet she sighs and looks down momentarily. She didn't want to look at either of them until she hears the commanders voice.

"Ashely...it's alright, I'm happy to hear everyone has a place to go to. Just be careful out there and say high to your family for us." Shepard finishes as she disconnects the call. She wasn't too upset by the mention of her homeworld but the thought of Mindoir being recolonized made her fearful that the planets, all the planets may be attacked. Trying to get all the images from that day out of her mind she looks towards Liara who was still holding her. The embrace tightened at the mention of her home planet.

"I'm alright...it'll be good for all those planets to rebuild and be what my father envisioned."

Not knowing if she should ask but not wanting Shepards thoughts to dwell on the horrors of that time, Liara decides to have Shepard continue. Part of it was to distract Kerry yet a very large part of it was the Asari wanting to know as much about Shepard's family as she could. "Would you mind telling me about them?"

Reciving a smile and a nod Liara's eyes turn black as images of memories from long ago start to play out for the both of them yet there was no pain or sorrow, only a feeling of warmth. She hadn't thought about some of these moments of her life in more than a decade but being with her love made it easier to relive them.

X

X

X

X

"Dammit!" Ashely chastises herself for mentioning the skippers home planet. She knew how the Commander felt, knew how _she_ would feel if the roles were reversed but with everything going on and all the new responsibilities she has been tasked with, forgot to ignore the last planets name. Wanting desperately to reconnect the call and apologize to the both of them as she knew she hit a nerve with Shepard and the Asari but decides to let it go until later.

Standing, she goes into the elevator and heads down to the cargo hold to meet her family. It was hard not to envision all her friends she had met along the way at each of their stations. When Hackett gave her comand of the Normandy she made it a point to meet all of her new crew. They were all human and it made Williams long for the days of seeing the different aliens walk amongst the Alliance ship. In the beginning she was woried that having aliens given access to the ships inner workings was only asking for problems but as time went on she learned that there weren't many differences between her and her future friends. Garus working tiresly to fix the Mako that in turn, Shepard would destroy just by looking at it. Tali down in engineering always trying to find new ways to modify and improve the ships core. Wrex, well being Wrex and standing there only really taliking to Shepard or complaining about the food or not enough enemies to shoot at. Liara, the timid archeologist who always tried to repent for her mothers sins. Desperately wanting to be looked upon as an ally. Williams felt horrible with the way she treated the Asari and was just happy the prothean expert accepted her apology. Kaiden was the worst to think about. She still felt horrible about the decision made that day on Virmire but knew the Commander had to make a tactical decision and would have done the same.

Now most of her crew are different, with the exception of Joker, Chakwas, and Cortez the rest have been replaced. And she knew it was going to take some getting used to but with the importance of their new mission she hoped everyone worked together as well as everyone did for Shepard. Ashely didn't want to put any added pressure on herself but it was hard not to, seeing as who's foot steps she was following in.

Making her way through the hold her smile can only grow wider at the sight of her mother and sisters. They are all she has left and is grateful for them all to be alive. The Spectre is fearful of what's to come but is hopeful that with all the death that had surrounded everyone that they can all come together and make their future that is free of any threat, a great one.

Being met by three sets of scared yet relieved eyes she hugs them all. She turns to lead them to where they'd be staying for the trip to Eden Prime but is haulted by her mother.

"There's someone else that is coming. I hope you don't mind?" Her mother says as she moves out of the way and Williams finds herself face to face with Kaidens parents. Barely able to look them in the eyes, not able to put it into words the guilt felt, especially at that moment she turns and yells for her newest memeber of her crew.

"Cheif Harris?" She barks so she can be heard over the rest of the crew. Not recieving an answer quick enough she's about to yell again when he runs up behind her. His responsibilities aboard the ship entailed the weapons upkeep in the armory as well as all the groundside forces armor. She knew he wasn't busy and was close and with all the emotions going through her, needed someone as quickly as possible to escort the civilians to the chow hall.

"Ma'am?" Seeing the turmoil all over the Spectre's expression he knew not to ask until later even though he was confused at her order. He thought he would have been introduced but after Williams told him what she wanted, she walked away.

Smiling as best he could he makes his introductions. "It's a privilege to meet all of you, now if you'll follow me so we can get you set up...we'll be leaving shortly and Commander Williams has something else to attend to before we do." He knew no one there believed him but seemed to appreciate the attempt to deflate what just happened even if he himself did not know what it was.

* * *

Virmire. She'd tried many of nights to forget that event even happened and she certainly didn't envy Shepard having to write up the report about it and relive her decision. Nor did she want to be in Hackett's position, having to tell the parents what happened. Having to grieve over the entire event was bad enough after it happened but to see his parents, his father who was almost a mirror image of his son and his mother who was certainly still grieving over the death of her only child, it was too much and she needed to get away.

Williams could not fathom what reasoning there was to bring Kaidens parents on her ship. The same ship where their son served. The same ship and crew that wasn't fast enough to save him. But it wasn't the same ship, not really, this was a new ship, a new crew. And as much as she never understood why Cerberus would recreate a ship that was lost along with its commanding officer. She was still happy she had the opportunity to serve on them both. Looking out over the decimated land that was now Earth from the open cargo hold as workers busily load equipment and supplies, she takes a deep calming breath. This would be the last time she would probably see this planet and all it's historic glory. Williams didn't know which was sadder, that Alenko didn't make it to see the end of the war or how he would have felt if he had. He'd be forced to witness what she's looking over now. All the loss and destruction just so they would be forced to leave a planet they tried to protect.

Feeling a hand on her shoulder she turns to see Kaiden's mother. The sad features she has was just as hard to look at now as they were before but there's no place Ashely can go to.

"Kaiden would have loved to see this...the end of the war but not this...this mess. I tell myself everyday it's all a dream and he's going to walk through the door but...Commander Williams I'd like to know something?" Not waiting for a response she continues. "I read all the reports and listened to the appolgies from all his commanding officers but ...I wanted to get an actual account of what happened to my son from someone who was there."

Ashely found herself unable to come up with the proper thing to say. What was the right thing? That your son died and I'm alive because of a choice? That a tactical decision needed to be made and I was in the right area and your son wasn't? What could she say to the still grieving mother standing next to her, looking her in the eyes, waiting for a response on how her son died?

Her throat tightened and she had to choke back the sob that would surely come out if she were to give an answer. Taking in a deep breath she looks out over the desolate planet. She began to wonder how such a luscious and beautiful world, that had so much life in it, be brought down to a pile of ruble within such a short period of time. She thought back to that day on Virmire and how gorgeous the planet was yet it was that same place where everything changed for her. She had just started to believe in herself again, that the Commander saw greatness and the potential to be a future leader but after Shepard made the decision to save her over Alenko she knew she'd never be one to make that choice when the time came. Ash knew it ate the commander up from the inside out, knew she'd taken it hard but still stood by her decision even though Liara knew otherwise. Ashley was well aware of how the Commander truly felt, could see it in her eyes when they talked about it but also knew that only the Asari was privy to Shepard's private thoughts.

Finally turning around to look at Kaiden's mother she says the only thing she can.

"Your son died a hero...he died to save the rest of us, to save me. I miss him everyday and I wish I had a better answer but what Shepard told you was the truth... He died so we could live and see this war through to the end."

Seeing the grieving woman begin to cry at what she just said made Williams feel that much worse that the truth, her truth behind his death would never be known by his family. But the woman needed closure and the more Ashely thought about her answer the more she realized it was the truth, Kaiden died to save everyone else there. If they would have gone after him as well, the bomb would have killed them all and the galaxy would have fallen. Wanting to put an end to the current conversation she asks the first thing that comes to mind.

"Mrs. Alenko where did you and your husband plan on settling?"

"The only place we can think of... Virmire."

X

X

X

X

"So that's pretty much it as far as my parents go. They loved each other and us...I only had a short time with them but I'm grateful for that time. Their love for each other was something I always wanted and now that I've found it in you... it helps in reminding me about them. It's why I'll always make sure you and our child are my priority." Shepard says to her future wife. They had spent the last hour talking about Kerry's parents and in the beginning they had done it through a meld with Shepard showing her Asari everything that she could, all the memories of her family. As time went on Liara started to get tired but wanted her love to finish so she ended the meld and continued to ask any question that came to mind.

This last question is something Liara is hesitant to ask but Kerry had yet to say much about her sister. The prothean expert knew it was a subject her lover may not want to talk about but at the same time knows it'll be good for her human to finally let it out.

"I wish I could have known them, even though I feel like I do already." Liara says.

"Me too... They would have loved you especially my sister she..." Pausing for a moment to collect her thoughts. Shepard knew this was the next question to come but didn't know quite what to say. Her sister had been so young, had such a bright future ahead of her and when Shepard started to talk about her, the loss she felt intensified that much more. Knowing her lover would be there for her made it easier but this was something she rarely spoke of even to Liara. They had touched on the subject briefly over the years but never this deeply but if anytime was right, it seemed to be now.

"She was someone who loved everyone, someone who saw all the good in everyone she met. She's part of the reason I joined the alliance...she wanted to help anyone she could, no matter who they were." Smiling at the memories that flooded her mind about her younger sibling, Shepard tells Liara all about who her sister was and even though she was only six, she was someone who made an enormous impact on the person the commander became.

"She would have loved you...she was infatuated with Asari...I remember the first time she met one. There was a friend of my fathers who's wife had passed away years ago and he got remarried to one and the look in my sisters eyes when she first met his new wife... Well lets just say I think we'd both be bonded to two of the most gorgeous Asari's around... You'd be hotter of course."

"Flatterer."

"I try..." As her smile falters a little she continues. "Its been hard for me to say much about her since ... But thank you...I know I don't have to say it but I want to." Her lips turn upward into a smile as another memory plays out. Not sure if she should say anything due the consequences that might come about. It was going to happen one way or another due to Shepard fighting a loosing battle against her thoughts. She could barely contain the laughter as she spoke.

"Caterina actually asked my mom to dye her hair blue so she could look like his wife...thought my mom was going to have a coronary but..." Seeing the look of pure excitement on Liara's face at the mention of being able to color hair, made the commander cringe a little. She had opened Pandora's box and knew she'd look like a rainbow by the time Liara was done. _Christ...what did I start?_

"Li?..babe...pumpkin spice...sugar booger...how about we keep talking about my sister...no..._'Shit she keeps staring at my head...think. I'll get naked...no then she'll want to color ... Other things...crap.'_

"Goddess you can change its color!" Liara says as her eyes widen and continue to stay transfixed onto the top of her lovers head. With all the extensive research she did on humans, especially human hair, she never came across this before. To be able to make it a different shade excited the Asari more than she probably should have been. She loved the Commanders hair but this new found information made her thoughts race at the different options she had and how much time she had in order to do them, it made it all the more exciting. Making a mental note to contact anyone who could help her she allowed herself to be brought back to the present as her bondmate continues to babble on.

"...stand on our heads and spit nickels out our ass... we could do a vid call with your father while having sex...You..." Finally getting Liara's attention, Shepard lets out a slight sigh of relief. "Didn't hear a word I said after hair coloring...did you?"

"What are nickels? And why would we...oh never mind. I need to make a call."

"Of course you do"


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: I thank you all for the feedback and I hope you are enjoying this so far. I took some more liberties with Miranda and her new position. I know it wouldn't happen though but I wanted to drive Williams crazy so she starts seeing more rainbow farting unicorns...**

**When I started this chapter I paused for a moment to think about the previous chapters and I realized there was something missing but I didn't know what it was...but then it hit me...Oh yeah that's it... ; )...Hope you all enjoy**

* * *

**The Fray**

**"You Found Me"**

I found God On the corner of First and Amistad

Where the west Was all but won

All alone Smoking his last cigarette I said, "Where you been?" He said, "Ask anything".

Where were you When everything was falling apart?

All my days Were spent by the telephone That never rang And all I needed was a call That never came To the corner of First and Amistad

Lost and insecure You found me, you found me Lyin' on the floor Surrounded, surrounded Why'd you have to wait? Where were you? Where were you? Just a little late

You found me, you found me

In the end Everyone ends up alone Losing her The only one who's ever known Who I am Who I'm not, who I wanna be No way to know How long she will be next to me

Lost and insecure You found me, you found me Lyin' on the floor Surrounded, surrounded Why'd you have to wait? Where were you? Where were you? Just a little late

You found me, you found me

Early morning The city breaks I've been callin' For years and years and years and years And you never left me no messages Ya never send me no letters You got some

kinda nerve Taking all I want

Lost and insecure You found me, you found me Lyin' on the floor Where were you? Where were you? Lost and insecure You found me, you found me Lyin' on the floor

Surrounded, surrounded Why'd you have to wait? Where were you? Where were you? Just a little late You found me, you found me Why'd you have to wait?

To find me, to find me

* * *

"You feel like doing something today?" Shepard asks as they both wake up to the morning sun. She wasn't used to waking up so late and hadn't been woken up by the suns rays in years. In the past her internal alarm had always woken her up before her shift started. Now was different, there was no call to duty, no mission reports to file and no meetings on strategy that required her attention. Just the Asari next to her who was slowly starting to wake. The new found closeness, without any cares or worries instantly became a magnificent feeling to the both of them. After a few weeks of looking over footage and reports of the other worlds that were rebuilding they both felt the need for something else to do. They both knew there wasn't much, if anything on the planet they are currently on but using the shuttle that was given to them by Spectre Williams, Shepard figured they might as well put it to some use.

"We can do whatever you wish." The Asari says enjoying her loves arms around her. It had been a wonderful few weeks since Shepard woke up. Being intimate with each other, talking about each others families and what their future will hold. "I am still waiting for a call from Miranda though."

"I figured we could go out and see what's on this planet." Shepard says a little sluggish.

Liara could tell her human was still being affected by the drugs she was given. As much as the Commander tried to fight it she needed her rest and even their amorous activities being the only exercise either of them did it almost seemed to be too much. Even though Shepard tried to keep up with her rehab as much as possible just to keep herself in shape, it tired her out quickly. She wasn't pushing herself as much as before but the majority of the time Shepard found herself exhausted after only a few moments. Kerry had told her how the initial rehab had gone at the hospital with her being able to do anything the therapists asked of her but now she seemed to have lost a step and it filled the Asari with concern as to the reasons why. She had surmised that after a month of recuperating the Commander would have gotten back to her normal energetic self but that wasn't the case. Each day seemed a little better but her progress was slow, a lot slower than either of them had thought it would. But today was another new day in their lives together and as much as Liara wanted to protest the idea of exploring, more notably on foot, she knew her human had been cooped up a little too long. The Asari herself had started to feel a little trapped in their new home and had been tempted to explore on her own before her human had woken up but didn't want to leave in case her love had woken up alone in a strange place. Now with Shepard up and around and free to do anything they desired, this idea Shepard had seemed to be a good one. That the fresh air would help, even if just a little. Liara didn't want to be gone to long though as she was waiting for a call from Miranda Lawson.

Just as they were about to get ready to leave, Liara's Omni beeped indicating someone was trying to get a hold of her. She walked to the other room to check on her feeds, expecting Miranda to be the one on the other end. Much to her surprise the person trying to contact her was not Lawson.

"Feron...it is so good to see you. I was hoping to hear you were ok." Liara says. "How are you doing?"

"I'm good, thank you. I've been trying to get ahold of you since the war ended but you're a hard person to find. Where are you?"

"We are safe and trying to recoperate...plus with the pregnancy we ..."

"Wait your pregnant?" Feron says, clearly shocked at the news. "You said we...your with Shepard? Last I heard she was dead..."

"Nope I'm very much alive...Feron. Glad to see your alright as well." Shepard says a little sarcastically. She was going to wait until Liara came back in to the bedroom to see who had called but when she heard the Drells name mentioned her memories instantly went back to a few months ago, to illium, and Hagalaz. That time of not having Liara next to her was something she was forced to deal with but the reasoning behind it all caused the Commander to think her Asari had truly moved on. That there was someone else and the range of emotions she felt when thinking Liara had found someone else were almost too much to deal with.

It was all erased after they took down the shadow broker and pledged their feelings for one another. All the doubt was erased that night in the loft but it all came flooding back as soon as Kerry heard Feron's voice and she hated it. She began to internally debate with herself if she should be polite to the Drell or make her feelings known. As she walked into the room and placed her hands on Liara's shoulders and heard how happy the Asari was at his survival she knew it wouldn't help anything if she were to be rude.

"Commander...I guess congratulations are in order and I suppose a great deal of gratitude."

"Thank you but there is no need... I'm just glad more 'friends' of ours survived. Excuse me I need to get ready." She quickly made her way back to their room and sat on the side of the bed looking out the window, trying to get her thoughts in order. It was all over and done with so why was it bothering her so much, again, that Feron survived and was now talking to her love? She never thought of herself as the jealous type and never wanted to be someone who was controlling but a large part of her did not want her bondmate talking to the Drell. It didn't make any sense as _they_ were together, about to have a baby and soon after be married so why were these feelings even coming up?

Slender arms snake around her from behind and she is gently pulled back into her lovers body. They sat there in silence for a moment until Shepard spoke.

"I'm sorry if I was rude to Feron. I am happy he's alive."

"Why does he bother you so much? I do hope you know where my feelings lie. He is only a friend." Liara says in a calming voice. She had a feeling as to why Shepard walked away from the conversation and hoped her lover was not mad at her.

"I know...I do... but seeing him brought back memories I thought were gone. Plus I'm selfish...I hate hearing myself say it but it's true. I want you all to myself and that's not right. I..."

"And you have me...always. Trust me I feel and have felt the same way. I have always known you had your missions to deal with but that did not mean I liked it when we were apart." Liara says as she gently caresses her lovers arms. "You've had me since we met... You rescued me from the Geth, a Krogan and Sarens capture. You welcomed me onto your ship when everyone else doubted my loyalty. You have made me feel wanted since I met you." Wanting to change the tone of the conversation a little Liara begins to smile as a certain memory plays out. "Plus you punched a Yahg in the face for me, that in itself showed me just how much you love me." Feeling the tension drain away a little as Shepard begins to relax she continues. "Yes he is my friend and he was part of the reason I was so caught up in my revenge but _you..._ were the reason I did it all."

"So you retrieved my body so I could come back and I beat up a Yahg...I think you win in that one...granted he was huge but..." Shepard says with a smile. Turning her head she kisses her Asari deeply. Only Liara could bring her back from any and all of her dark thoughts. But what she had said wasn't all that was bothering her. Breaking away from the kiss Shepard continues.

"My biggest problem I have with him is what he represents, not who he is to you. We've been through this... but seeing him again makes everything come back and that time is hard to think about. Two years for you and it felt like a few days for me. In that time everything changed except our feelings for each other but I could see the difference in your eyes and I still can't imagine what you went through. Everyone always tells me how strong willed I am, just to be able to push forward through all the trauma I've endured but if the roles were reversed I think I'd fall apart...I did fall apart." Pausing as she thinks back to only a few weeks ago when she thought her lover was dead.

"I guess he represents a time I don't want to think about but also it's a time when we came back to each other so...I'm sorry I've had a lot of time to think since everything stopped and I know this isn't helping either of us."

"He does represent a time I'd rather not think about either but it's made us who we are. It's a time that can be considered horrible and a blessing at the same time. There are many people I have a hard time talking to without those memories coming back, Joker especially but I know what is important and that is the future we have. We have each other for years to come and I can not be more grateful to Miranda and what's she done for us. And she's someone I wanted to kill the first time I met her. Who would have known we'd be this close?"

Smiling Shepard kisses her again. What her Asari had said was true, it was a time of heartache and sorrow but a time of tremendous joy. They both went through horrible things since they've known each other but in the end it had all been worth it. The future was unknown but there are only a few things each of them know is certain; There love for each other, their future family and the friends such as Miranda Lawson they've gained along the way will be there as strong as ever.

* * *

Miranda had been going over the data from Shepard's most recent scans. Liara had contacted her about the Commander's condition and the former Cerberus operative assured the both of them that the chemicals in the Commanders body may not be fully flushed from her system and causing adverse effects on her body. It was thought by everyone that it wouldn't take too long but Liara had sent a sample of Kerry's blood to the former Cerberus operative just in case. She was about to contact them and tell them the results but her new duties required her attention.

Lawson had disappeared for a while after Cerberus was finally defeated, mainly due to her own surgical procedure she had to have done. After her and her sister returned she sought out Admiral Hackett and offered their assistance in whatever capacity they'd be needed in. Before she could offer her and Oriana's help to the Alliance, Hackett had beat her to it. The Admiral had told Miranda and her sister that without their help Shepard wouldn't be alive and everyone owed them a great debt. Jobs were offered to them both and after careful consideration, accepted. They'd initially be helping in the evacuation of Earth and since she had already served on the Normandy, Miranda was given a choice of assignments. She wouldn't have an official title but Hackett had told her that since she was Shepard's executive officer that her new role would be similar. At first Lawson was hesitant only because the new commanding officer wasn't Shepard and her and Williams did not get along. Surprisingly the new human Spectre voiced no concerns on the matter but had been keeping an eye on her. Since Oriana had a medical back ground she was to assist doctor Chakwas and jumped at the chance to be able to serve on the famous ship. She found the Normandy's doctor delightful and full of knowledge about her craft in the medical profession. She also loved to talk while off duty, drinking her favorite brandy. The majority of the stories the younger Lawson had never heard before and most of them were about Shepard in one fashion or the other. After the tenth one regarding the Spectre throwing herself in harms way, Oriana could only sit and wonder how Shepard survived any of her missions much less the war.

They were only on the Normandy a short while when the call came to Miranda's private terminal. Being encrypted, Miranda knew who it was from and wasn't quite sure if Oriana's presence would be appreciated but knew her sister would not divulge any secrets.

Liara had nearly been in tears when she contacted Miranda a few days prior. Apparently Shepard had hurt herself while exercising and could barely move. Unable to think of what she could do, Liara made the decision to call Miranda and ask for advice. The elder Lawson always seemed to be able to calm the Asari down with regards to Shepard and her injuries and this time was no different, still the raven haired woman became concerned at the lack of progress Shepard was making with regards to her physical abilities. She assured the Asari doctor she'd look over all of Shepard's medical scans sent to her but also told Liara that the wound she received fighting Cerberus may have done damage to her heart not noticed before and as it was a delicate organ she still may need more rest than she was getting.

Miranda found herself in a position she'd never thought possible. Back aboard the Normandy and being given her old position back was something she never thought would happen. She had apparently impressed Hackett and Williams because after some digging she had found out that Ashely had approved of the idea when the Alliance Admiral approached her on the selection of her new crew. For the life of her Lawson could not figure out the Spectre's motives. If she was the only one who was picked to be on the Normandy then Miranda would have thought there were ulterior motives but with her sister on board as well it seemed the truth was leaning towards the necessity of capable and willing personnel to help. She was fine with that being the reasons and made her appreciation known.

Currently headed towards the bridge she breathes a sigh of relief that being back on the once Cerberus ship no longer required her to suit up for a mission to save the galaxy. Now humanity desperately needed everyone to help even with the Quarian ships, numerous trips were required. With the Normandy being charged with escorting the fleet it wasn't the most glorious of assignments but the importance was just as great.

As she arrives on the bridge she can hear the ships pilot conversing with someone. Clearly amused with himself at what he had said to whomever he was talking to Lawson decides to interrupt before Joker can say anything else stupid.

"Lieutenant Moreau who are you speaking to?"

Turning quickly around as he recognizes the voice he's surprised to see Miranda in an alliance uniform but even more surprising was how form fitting it was. He'd always snuck peaks at Lawson every time she was around and was never disappointed, especially when she walked away but to see her now standing in the alliance naval colors, almost left him speechless, almost.

"Miranda...what are you doing here and why are you wearing..?"

_"Jeff it seems your blood pressure levels have increased, indicating a heightened sense of arousal over Ms. Lawson's attire."_ A synthesized voice comes over the speaker. Lawson couldn't control the smile that came across her. She was happy to hear the A.I. was back online and also could shut the man in front of her up.

"Ah EDI it is good to hear your voice again. So Lieutenant are you going to answer my question or is your girlfriend going to kill us both because you can't stop staring at my chest."

"Uh...right ...I was talking to...to..." He stammers not able to figure out what was worse, EDI breaking something on him or the fact that he couldn't keep his eyes off Lawson's uniform.

"He was speaking to me the boshtet." Tali says in mild annoyance. He'd been giving her a hard time and she was happy for the distraction but not necessarily who caused it. She was still skeptical about Miranda no matter what Shepard had said about her good intentions. But the Commander had said to give her a chance and Tali did and was surprised with her actions.

The Quarian Admiral had initially contacted the Normandy to see when they'd be leaving Earth as her ship was full. The conversation went downhill after her new ships name was announced.

"Tali, it's good to hear from you again." Miranda says as sincerely as possible. She knew the Quarian did not like her but also saw the attempt she made to be friendly. Seeing the Normandy's pilot begin to laugh a little, Lawson wondered what she had missed. "Admiral Zorah, what can I do for you?"

"Ask her about her new ships name." Joker chimes in with a stupid grin on his face, causing the Quarian Admiral to sigh in frustration.

"Honestly Joker does it really matter?" Miranda asks in mild annoyance.

"It's the Quib Quib...Tali'Zorah vas Quib Quib..." Joker says trying to hold his laughter in. His laughter lessons a little due to the looks he was getting. Throwing his hands up in defeat that his joke truly wasn't funny he tries to defend himself. "Hey if Shepard was here she'd think it was funny."

"And how does that help you... She's worse than you are sometimes." Both Tali and Miranda tell the suddenly nervous pilot.

"So Admiral what can I do for you?" Lawson changes the subject to more serious business. She knew she'd have her doubters with regards to her new position so anything she could do to detract all the negative comments from flying around she'd do. Hackett, Shepard and in a way Williams had all put their faith in her so failure was not an option.

"I was actually wondering when we were leaving. I just got a message from Rannoch that I am needed there. So we will be going to Horizon directly from here, then back home." It was strange being able to say home or the name of a planet instead of the fleet and being confined to a ship. Tali and every other Quarian throughout the galaxy needed to get used to the fact that they truly did have a home planet to go back to. The only thing the young Admiral wished was that Shepard could be there to see her home world in all its glory. Shepard would eventually but Tali missed her friend, missed the talks they used to have about anything and everything. From her pilgrimage to the geth, they spoke about it all and the fact that Shepard was the first and only person human or otherwise to actually have an interest in what the young Quarian was saying made her absence that much harder. She loved her friends and missed the both of them terribly but knew that Liara and Shepard needed time away from it all. She decided right then that after she left Rannoch she'd contact her two friends to see how they were doing.

"EDI can you please ask Commander Williams to come to the bridge?" Miranda asks, bringing the Quarian back from her thoughts. Tali was still uncertain as to why the former Cerberus cheerleader is there but keeps her thoughts to herself for the time being. There are more pressing things to worry about, like the evacuation, getting back home, wanting to see Garus again and how to figure out a way to kill Joker and make it look like an accident.

* * *

Williams eventually made her way back to the loft after her discussion with Kaiden's mother. Ashely wanted to confront her family on the entire thing but as she made her way up to her cabin, she relaxed a little as the guilt had lessened due largely to how his mother looked after they were done. His mother seemed to relax a little more and not be as grief stricken. It had been almost three years since her son had died but everyone could tell she was not done morning. It seemed to change a little after their talk for the both of them so rather than confront her mother on it, she decided to enjoy the short time they'd have.

When she met with Sarah on the citadel she'd felt horrible for her. Everyone knew lives would be lost but this was family and they had been together through it all. Ashley helped her younger sister as much as she could. Eventually Williams had to leave on another mission but made sure to tell her family to stay as safe as they could.

The remaining Williams family left initially to go to Horizon but received a message from Ashley about all the atrocities that she had witnessed there and to stay clear of the planet. The ship they were on that had been full of other refugees eventually made it safety, never staying in one place too long but eventually made their way back to Earth after the war was over.

Ashely's grateful for them all being alive and wants to talk with them more but their reunion was interrupted by EDI.

_"Commander Williams your presence is required."_

"Roger that EDI..." She replies but before she can get up to leave the A.I. chimes in again.

"_Commander you are needed in multiple areas of the ship. Admiral Hackett is requesting you contact him, Admiral Tali Zorah vas Quib Quib also needs to speak to you and two Alliance Lieutenants are requesting permission to board."_

"Quib Quib?..Really?" Williams says trying not to laugh.

_"I was told by XO Lawson to not ask."_ Is EDI's reply.

"Alright... Tell Hackett I'm on the way and Miranda to handle things with Tali until I get there and have Chief Harris meet whoever is trying to board my ship." The Spectre says quickly. Making her way down to place a call to the admiral she can only mumble to herself not knowing how the hell Shepard did all this and not go insane.

* * *

Calling all her ground side crew to attention, Williams looks over the platoon of marines she'd been given and smiles a little. Just by looking at them she could see all their hardened faces staring back at her with eagerness. It wasn't a battle to be fought but the importance of this assignment was just as dire. Williams wished she could convince those who chose to stay behind to leave but what Shepard had said was the truth. Not everyone was going to listen about the danger until it was too late. The Spectre knew it was going to be a hard enough time getting everyone off world without a problem so only having half of the remaining population made her think of how overrun they'd be if everyone was waiting to leave. Right now she can't think about all of that, she has to concentrate on what she was just told by Hackett.

"Alright... there had been a change to the change... as you know we were supposed to escort all of the Quarian ships to each planet and help with the security detail. It seems that one of their ships the Quib Quib needs to go back to Rannoch after dropping the people and cargo off. They'll be with us through the first jump but will be heading out separate from after so I've assembled all of you here to see who I can get to volunteer to ride along with them. Once we are done making sure everyone else is safe we will be by to pick you up... It may be a few days but I'm sure you all need some R and R." As Ashley finishes every hand in the group is raised. Smiling at all the volunteers and the real reason why she shakes her head a little. Everyone there had been going non stop for the past few months and knew if they were picked for this new detail there'd be plenty of time to relax. Unfortunately not everyone could go and Williams figured that probably only half who had their hands raised could as they needed soldiers on the ground on the other planets as well.

"Well I feel the love." Ashely jokes gaining some chuckles from the crowd. "Since I need some of you with me I'll be handing over this new detail to our newest officers. This is Lieutenants Patrickson and Pomilio, they will lead you along with Chief Harris and hand pick a small squad to accompany the five hundred thousand civilians to Horizon. I fought alongside the three of them recently and I have not met a better group of marines..." Before she hands over the group to Patrickson she finishes by trying boost their morale a little more and take a shot at her former commanding officer. "With the exception of maybe you all and Commander Shepard of course but she's on her honeymoon so you're stuck with me." Her lips curve up as the entire group begins to yell in agreeance along with some questionable comments about what Shepard was actually doing. Finally turning towards the three soldiers standing next to her she walks back to the bridge to coordinate with Tali about the new orders.

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Williams felt good about everything that was happening. It was good to see some more familiar faces in the two officers who helped rescue Shepard. She never thought they'd see each other again but that was not the case. Everyone had been given leave directly after the rescue mission but they all chose to stay close. Hackett had asked the two lieutenants where they wanted their next assignment to be and they both had agreed to help with the evac. Her family was safe, her friends were recovering and so far the five million civilians on board the ten separate Quarian ships would soon be able to start over.

Arriving at the bridge she contacts Tali." Admiral Zorah vas Qui..."

"Do not finish that sentence!" Tali interrupts the Spectre gaining a laugh from everyone around the human.

"Sorry Tali...have you received my marines yet?"

"Yes they just arrived and we are ready to head through the relay. I did have a favor to ask? I know the Normandy is supposed to lead but I'd like to be able to go through the relay first? Haven't had the chance to since I became an Admiral so..."

Smiling again Ashley couldn't help but think back to when the young Quarian came on board. How eager she was to prove to everyone that her people were not what everyone thought, rats in suits. Tali was more than that, they all were and Williams couldn't be happier to have gotten to know her.

"Lead the way Admiral we'll see you on the other side."

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"So my love how are you feeling?" Liara asks her human. They had just returned from their exploration of the planet. They had walked around for a while after finding a beach to set the shuttle down. It reminded the both of them of the shore leave they took after they defeated Saren. It had been a wonderful time together and this area was no different. Walking hand in hand along the edge of the sand, laying with each other, making love in the water, it was all euphoric. And they both looked forward to going there again. They weren't planning on having sex in the ocean but with the way the Asari looked it was hard not to. She had a white dress on and with the way the wind made it flow and the how the sun silhouetted her body, it was hard not to find her blue angel even more beautiful. The Asari knew the answer to her question as she had seen how Shepard seemed to have more energy but wanted to hear it for herself. They were still waiting on a call from Miranda but at this moment everything was better than either of them could have imagined.

"I feel great...but I'm sure you know why." Kerry says causing the both of them to blush a little. "We definitely need to go there again... It's too bad our home wasn't closer but it was a nice trip."

The Asari smiles at her love, relief floods though her as her human finally seems to be healing, both physically and mentally. They each knew it would take some time for the both of them but the wait would be worth it. As her Omni beeps indicating she has a message they both walk into the room they had set up with all the shadow broker feeds.

Disappointed a little that the message wasn't from who they expected they both start to read what had been sent. The evacuation process had just started and already there was a problem. They didn't know the extent but knew it was bad enough to have different messages from six agents. None of the messages were clear on exactly what had happened. The only thing that either of them could do was hope and pray that it wasn't serious.

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Alarms go off throughout the entire ship as the Normandy is traveling through the relay. They were just about to come out to the other side when the distress alarm went off, telling them that a ship was in trouble. Frantically trying to figure out what had happened Joker and Williams desperately try to get in contact with all the other ships with them.

"EDI can we pinpoint which ship it is or where the distress beacon is coming from."

_"Yes commander...it's seems to have originated from the Quib Quib but has since stopped. I am trying to figure out why."_

As soon as the A.I. stops speaking, a frantic Joker can be heard yelling through the comm.

"Evasive maneuvers...Everyone get strapped in there is debris everywhere!"


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: I thank everyone again for the support especially those who have left a review and let me know some of the things that I've done wrong or missed. I've been rushing to get these chapters out for a certain reason and I'm not proof reading enough and things are being edited out so Theodur and KE12 I apologize for my rant and thank you for listening to my crap. **

**And has anyone played the new assassins creed game. Nice little Garrus shout out to him as the guy under the desk is doing his calibrations. **

**Hope you all enjoy and as always feedback is appreciated **

* * *

**Audioslave**

**"Light My Way"**

In my hour of need

On a sea of grey

On my knees I pray to you

Help me find the dawn

Of the dying day

Won't you light my way... Won't you light my way... Won't you light my way ...Won't you light my way

A bullet is a man

From time to time he strays I compare my life to this

To this I relate

And I'm willing To listen to your answers

And I'm not ashamed

To tell you I need you today

So when I'm lost Or I'm tired and depraved

Or when my high buller mind

Goes astray won't you light my way

Won't you light my way ...Won't you light my way

* * *

"The Quib Quib? That doesn't make any sense, that ship was destroyed during the war!" Shepard says in disbelief at the news her and Liara had been going over for the past few moments. There wasn't much to look at, as most of their agents hadn't responded back after the initial reports were sent but just the thought of a Quarian ship loaded with civilians on it exploding was making them both a little nervous and impatient as to what had happened. The only thing they both want to know was if Tali was alright. Everyone they had tried to contact either didn't answer or said they couldn't talk due to the recent events unfolding and they were both becoming more frustrated as the moments passed.

"Apparently the Quarians repurposed and rebuilt most of their damaged ships after the war and they renamed that particular ship the Quib Quib. I was only able to get a small amount of information on it but from what Feron had sent me they needed to rebuild any ship that they could due to the fact that Rannoch was not ready to be lived on yet. I guess we will know more as time goes on but I do hope Tali is ok." Liara says turning towards Shepard.

Their discussion on Feron that morning brought up some unpleasant memories and with the Drell offering his assistance, Liara didn't want the same thing to happen each time his name was brought up. Shepard had finally revealed that she truly didn't care if she spoke to him or not but getting the visions of that time out of her head was not going to be an easy thing to do. Liara told her love that this was all apart of their healing process and to give everything time and accept Ferons's assistance as just that. As soon as he found out that Liara was pregnant he even offered to take over for her which is a topic still being discussed. Now is not the time to be thinking of issues that they had went through, now there is a crisis and both of them want to go and help but there is no way for them to get off of the planet. The shuttle they were given by Ashley was limited as far as space flight yet neither of them had any idea of what they could possibly do to help anyway.

Neither one of them wanted to risk anything happening to each other, especially with Liara being pregnant and Shepard still recovering. They had been in a recent firefight but that was different, they were forced. This was supposed to be a time for them to enjoy each other and up until recently it was but with the recent devastation they both were worried Shepard would be called back in under council order. Even though Liara had basically told Hackett and Tevos that her love was done with all of it, nothing was official. They both discussed it further after Shepard had woken up and as much as Kerry had always been the one at the front of everything, she had to start thinking about her own well being as well as her families. Being in the Alliance Navy, an N7 graduate and a Spectre was something that the human took great pride in but having a family was something that trumped it all. None of the accolades and medals could compare to the fact that she had a family again. Hers was taken away in the blink of an eye and the more she thought about them the more she realized that making them proud and doing good by their memory with all her military accomplishments were one thing but having a spouse and a child was something completely different and that is all her parents ever wanted for her. With all that being said though both Liara and Shepard knew the commander would jump back into action if it meant helping one of their friends and Liara would be right next to her.

"I just hope Tali wasn't on that ship." Shepard says, her voice cracking a little at the thought of her friend who had become a sister to them both, dying." And I seriously need to have a talk with someone about this 'renaming ships' thing. First the Normandy then the Quib Quib, I love my ship but they might as well have called it the Arizona or the Titanic." Kerry says to lighten the mood a little. She knew it wouldn't work but getting worked up about things that were out of their control wasn't going to help anyone. "Plus that's a horrible name the Quarians came up with anyway...I mean who..."

"Goddess no!" The Asari nearly screams as the new reports come in, tears stream down her face, not believing the recent findings.

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Palaven; a planet dubbed "A silver world of fortresses and fire" due to its poor shielding from the sun. A planet that had a strong military, historic greatness and a proud people. Today is a day that tribute was paid to the fallen of the war and Garrus Vakarian, war hero and colleague of Commander Kerry Shepard wished it was a day he could forget. After hearing from his sister that her and their father had successfully left their home planet relatively unharmed, his father was injured after they reached a place thought to have been a safe zone. As the door to the ship they were all on opened a group of husks attacked and he threw himself in front of everyone and saved everyone onboard. Before Garrus was able to get back to his family and his planet his father succumbed to his injuries but unlike his mothers funeral he made this one and he wished he could have spoken to him one last time.

His father was someone who believed in all Turians standing together, a man who had been a part of C-Sec and pushed for his son to follow in his footsteps and he did. Up until he met Shepard, Garrus had made his father proud and been the best officer he could be. Even with all his frustrations of being stonewalled with his investigation into Saren he still strived to be all that he could. Meeting Shepard gave him the freedom to follow his intuition and prove that the Turian Spectre was involved in something illegal and with the Commanders help, destroyed the rogue Spectre.

Even with all that being said and his son saving the galaxy from the initial Reaper attack, the Collectors and finally the Reaper invasion, Garrus's father never agreed with his son leaving C-Sec and following the human. He had told his son that humans were no good and to get involved with one would be a horrible career move. That statement was given even more merit when it was reported that the council had not backed what Shepard had said about Saren and he continued to push for his son to leave the Normandy and return to his roots. If Garrus no longer wanted to be a C-Sec officer than he'd come back home and join the Turian military.

The younger Vakarian went against his fathers wishes once again after the ship he was on was attacked and the Commander thought dead. He tried to reach out to Garrus and convince him to come home to no avail and lost track of his son as his son found himself on Omega. Even after resurfacing alongside the human Spectre, contact was made by his sister, informing him that their mother was ill and may not live but it didn't deter Garrus from choosing to stand by his human friends side.

The elder Vakarian became furious and all but banished his son after his wife's funeral. Knowing Garrus was out fighting for those who couldn't, protecting the innocent, it didn't matter. He disobeyed one of a few things a Turian never did, family. Growing up each of them were taught at a young age the importance of loved ones as well as their commitments to the Turian people as a whole. Three things were ingrained into each youngling; follow orders, never abandon your post by fighting until your last breath and protect and honor your loved ones at all cost.

Not coming home for his mothers funeral put more tension into the family that was already at odds with each other. But leaving with the human Spectre when their home world was under attack sent the elder Vakarian into a frenzy and Solana, Garrus's sister became caught in the middle of the father and son rift. Solana desperately tried to reason with the both of them to the point of contacting the Alliance Navy and the Councilors office on the Citadel to try and get a hold of Shepard but it didn't work and Garrus was less than helpful when she asked him to see if the first human spectre would grant him leave, at least temporarily. Garrus's only response to his sister was that the Commadwr was under enough pressure to save the galaxy and that his family problems needed to wait. Solana held no grudge against Shepard at first but after seeing Garrus at their fathers 'Lay to rest ceremony' all of her frustrations erupted.

"You just had to follow her didn't you?! That human, the one who turned her back on her own kind...she could have saved everyone without your help. You had a duty to us... To your people! I had to watch both of our parents die...I had to give father excuse after excuse as to why you weren't here." Solana had told him after everyone had left. Garrus was standing alone looking out over the vast landscape of his home planet trying to come to grips with all the devastation that had taken place and as soon as she had him alone expressed all her frustrations and fears.

"I didn't even know if you were alive or not. You sent no messages after mother died... None! I stood by and fought with our people...watched as our father threw himself in front of one of those...abominations to save us...save me." Her voice barely above a whisper, loosing the accusatory tone, to one filled with sadness as all of her memories over the past few years played out.

Garrus could only stand there and look at his sister and listen to her words but said nothing. What could he say? His sister knew what he had done; saved the galaxy but he wasn't there for his family and this had been the first time in years that brother and sister had seen each other. Part of him knew that if he were to have informed Shepard she would have allowed him to leave and take care of his family, be with his mother during her last days but thought if he would have left and something were to happen again that he'd never forgive himself. He loved Shepard like a sister, more actually but as his heart belonging to Tali long before the reapers attacked, Kerry's belonged to Liara.

He longed for his Quarian lover to be with him but she had her own responsibilities to attend to and they had both promised each other to meet up when they could. Tali had expressed her deepest sympathies to her Turian upon hearing of his father passing and pleaded to other Admirals to let her head to Palavin before she helped the Alliance. They refused mainly due to the fact that the Quarians were finally going to be accepted into the galactic civilization and even have a seat on the council so personal matters needed to be put on hold. They were only able to spend a few days together as both of their planets were summoning them back.

They spent the entire time together, Garrus waiting on her hand and foot since she was still injured and had an untreated infection. Knowing the Quarian quite well, Garrus knew exactly how to help her but now is different. Now comfort was needed for each other as they did when Tali's father was found dead and Garrus's mother had passed. That was when they became close and now the same comfort was needed. They each had there own people to help in one aspect or another and as much as Tali was wanted here by his side he knew it was not an option, not with his sister admonishing everything they had all done. He knew eventually Solana would insult his girlfriend and as much as he wanted to lash out at her for attacking Shepard, he held his tongue but doubted he'd be able to do the same if Tali was dragged into this.

Solana was hurting and he couldn't think of a single thing to say to her. What was the right thing to say? He let her vent all her frustrations out on him and took any and all verbal punishment she threw his way. Solara was right, he wasn't there for his family even though he did all he could to ensure their survival and he's just happy to have a family and a planet to come home to. Convincing his sister that he was truly staying was another matter all together.

"Don't you have anything to say to me? After all this time and everything that has happened I deserve something." Solara continues as tears stream down her face. She felt horrible for some of the things she had said to Garrus, most were what their father had said in the past and she knew he was hurting too but felt she deserved an answer.

"Solara, the only answer I can give you is that I did what was needed to be done. Yes I went against fathers wishes but I did it so we could have a galaxy and a planet to come home too. I know my going with Shepard was not the 'Turian thing to do' according to our father but if I didn't watch her back and keep her as safe as I could then none of us would be standing here today. She risked everything to include her bondmate and their baby to make sure we had a future. I wish our parents were here to meet her, so i can show them who she is... I wish I could have been here more than I was but it's not how it played out."

Finally receiving a nod of acceptance at what he just said they both stare off into the distance of their once proud and beautiful home world. Almost five billion died on Palaven; the majority of their population gone within a short amount of time but they'd rebuild and recover as one.

Hearing someone approaching from behind they both turn around to see Primarch Victus and another Turian, Garrus recognized walking towards them. Every Turian who was still alive attended the ceremony to include the Turian Councilor. He barely made eye contact with Garrus and quickly left after the ceremony was over. Vakarian was relieved a little due to the fact that he doubted he could keep his tongue or his fists to himself while talking to the Turian representative.

Victus was different though. He was an amazing leader on the battlefield and as much as he did not want the position that was cast upon him after Fedorian was killed, he excelled at moving the talks along and getting the Krogan support everyone needed. Much like Garus, Victus did not want to leave Menae but knew if he didn't and help was not received then Palaven would have been lost. He chose to keep his position after the war and continued to be a voice for and to his people. Having firsthand knowledge of what would be needed from all other races in order for them to recover, he was more then capable of leading any and all discussions and convince whomever was in attendance to listen, apparently his unorthodox style on the battlefield that won him praise from his subordinates, carried over to his new life as a politician. He never would openly admit it but he enjoyed being able to tell the council to kiss his ass without actually saying it. Victus never thought he'd see the day when politics would be enjoyable but as long as he could serve his people in one fashion or the other he was content with whatever position he was in. He currently hoped that the Turian in front of him would be able to appreciate his new role.

"Garus, it's good to see you and I'm sorry about your father...he will be missed."

"Thank you Primarch." Garrus says still a little unsure as to why he was being approached by the Turian leader. He had spent some time talking to him aboard the Normandy but with the war going on most of their conversations were limited. Still, they both had a mutual respect for one another. After introductions are made between Solana and the retired general Septimus Oraka, Victus continued.

"I know this is a difficult time for you and your family Vakarian but I wanted to see what your future plans were?"

"I haven't really thought about it really. I just got back a little while ago and wanted to spend as much time as I could with my sister. Why?"

"Well after some consideration we want to offer you a high ranking position in our military. With your background and status, you have the respect of the soldiers already and I think the title of General suits you. We need good leaders in this time of need. As I'm sure you know there are millions of people suffering and need help."

Being stunned for a second into silence as the words spoken begin to sink in, Garrrus can only stare blankly back at the Primarch. He had lead people before on Omega and it turned into a disaster and he began to doubt that he was the right person for the job but the Primarch was waiting for an answer. He was about to decline until Oraka makes a noise of contempt.

The retired Turian General did not agree with the decision made and hearing the Primarch make it official only made it more difficult to stomach. Garrus hadn't served with his people. He had abandoned them in the middle of everything to fight next to a Spectre and apparently that was all that was needed to receive a high ranking position. He didn't care who Garrus was and especially didn't like the human regardless of who she was. Victus left as well but to get help, not to make sure his name would be written in the stars.

"Something to add to this conversation, Septimus?" Victus asks. He knew the retired Generals stance on this but didn't care considering what Oraka had been doing during the war. He had survived the war and since he was a hero in the Turian army the Hierarchy decided to use his connections as much as they could. Unfortunately for Victus, Oraka had been assigned to aid the Primarch.

"It's nothing." Septimus responds.

"No I want to hear what you have to say." Garrus says as he moves in front of the retired General. He knew who he was as well, since the fight with Saren, when the lowly Turian had issues with the Consort. Garrus had a feeling what he was planning on saying and was in no mood for his crap. His choice to say no is slowly receding as the more he starts to think about it the more he realizes people like Oraka do not need to be involved in any of the recovery efforts. He is only interested in one thing, money.

"Fine...honestly you've been around humans for too long...I just think the position would be better suited for someone who didn't run from the fight on Palaven and Manae. The fight and the glory was here not running off with some human. What's to say he won't up and leave again when his whore comes calling again..."

Hitting the retired General gave Garrus a feeling he hadn't had in a long time...not since he got his revenge on Sidonis on the Citadel. He would have continued assaulting the other Turian but his sister and the Primarch had grabbed a hold of him in an effort to calm him down. It worked but Garrus was not about to let him off by just knocking him on his ass.

"You say another word and I'll put a bullet in your skull! Yes I left to help fight but where the fuck were you? On the citadel sitting on your ass collecting money... Waisting Shepards time so Aria didn't put a bullet in your sorry ass. So don't you dare say another word about Shepard or anyone else." Garrus was seething with anger and if it wasn't for his sister standing there he would have ended the retired Generals life. He turns his attention to Victus and gives his answer.

"Primarch, I will do whatever is necessary to help in Palavens recovery as long as that two legged rectum isn't around." He tells the Primarch as he points to Septimus. Receiving only a smile and a nod from Victus he turns towards his sister who had an amused look.

"Two legged rectum?" She asks, not having a clue as to where her brother had heard an expression like that.

Shrugging his shoulders as his mandibles flap in amusement he laughs a little at how much Shepard and all of her weird sayings had rubbed off on him. "He's right, I have been around humans too long."

"One more thing General Vakarian." Victus says solemnly. "There's been an incident and the Alliance and the Quarians are asking for our help in the matter."

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X

The debris was everywhere and as Ashley looks out towards the wreckage of the Quarian ship she can only hope and pray that everyone onboard is alive but with the devastation she is witnessing she doubts anyone could have. The Normandy's crew was lucky they had such an experienced pilot in Joker considering some of the pieces from the wreckage were three times the size of any dreadnought the Alliance had in its arsenal. After they avoided colliding with what was left of the Quib Quib they had contacted the rest of the ships that were supposed to follow them after they went through the relay. The Normandy was supposed to make sure that it was safe to go through the relay and eventually they'd communicate back and let the remaining ships know to come through. No one thought that anyone would try and take out one of their ships but with the majority of Earths civilization on each of the Quarian ships no one was taking any chances. The remaining ships were told to hold there current positions.

After the comm link disconnected from the remaining Admirals she ordered a scan of the entire area for any ships that may have attacked the Quarian ship and any possible escape pods that may have been jettisoned. Ashley doubted there was enough time to get anyone off the ship before it disintegrated, since they had been directly behind them and it hurt to think about all that was lost. She made a decision and sent over a squad of her Marines, some where he friends, one was her lover and then there was Tali, she was the worst to think about. She was a sister in arms and went from a scared 'kid' when they first met to an Admiral in the short amount of time that Williams had known her. She was there for everyone, was one of the few who followed Shepard during the fight against the Collectors, pushed past all of the pain that her fathers death caused and her people accusing her of treason. She survived the suicide mission, the Reaper war and was there for Shepard at the hospital when the Commander needed her the most and pushed past all of her injuries to make sure she was there on the Citadel, rescuing Shepard and Liara. Now with the scans EDI had performed returning no signs of life or escape pods that had been used she had apparently died before she had a chance to truly live.

Between the almost half a million humans plus the Quarian crew onboard the Quib Quib the death toll was almost as large as the first reports that had came back after the Reapers attacked. As mush as Spectre Ashley Williams could contain her emotions the weight of her recent decisions were too much and before she lost all of her composure she leaves the bridge to go up to her cabin.

Who was she kidding, it wasn't her command or her ship, it was still Shepard's. She was the true Commander of the famous ship and the more she began to think about everything she began to believe that she wasn't the right person for the job. That person was the next in a long line of people she had to contact to include the Quarian Admirals before there was a mass panic on the rest of the ships still waiting, to inform them all that they needed to set different coordinates, that the relay they went through had been damaged somehow and it wasn't safe. It would buy only a short period of time but it had to be enough so she could contact Kerry and ask her for her help. It wasn't fair for her to do this as she was still recovering but Ashley's confidence in herself as a leader had diminished considerably.

Hackett would be the next and final call letting him know he needed to reinstate the first human Spectre and to tell him as well as the rest of the Council she was stepping down. She knew it wasn't the correct decision and she may just need some time but time is something they don't have the luxury of having and once the rest of the Quarian fleet finds out about the destroyed ship she knew she'd have to make another choice and deal with the panic that would happen as a result and did not want that on her conscience if something else were to go wrong. Everything was turning into Vimire and Earth with Vega all over again. Kaidan wasn't her fault directly but it might as well have been and Vega...he had survived the war just like Tali only to be killed afterwards and for what? The answer wasn't coming to her as the only thing Williams can think of while on the lift to her cabin is what would her grandfather think of her? Shaking her head to clear her thoughts the doors to the lift open and as she walks through the door she nearly walks into her mother who was coming to find her.

"Ashley what happened, why are we stopped?"

"There was an accident but I need to contact Hackett and Shepard about all of this I need to let them know what's going on. I need..."

"Ash please...stop for one second..."

"I can't...we don't have time and I don't know what to do...half a million people are dead! I can't do this anymore..."

"Are you sure?" Her mom asks in shock.

"Yeah...EDI ran scans all along the reckage and all the planets around the area...there was nothing." Williams says barely above a whisper, not able to get the vision out of her head of all those people who had survived the war only to die trying to get to there new home world. Fear was written all over their faces as they boarded each ship, mainly the fear of what the future held but at the time they all knew they had one. She knew giving up wasn't an option, not now since there were still people out there waiting for the ok to come through and start their new lives but the thought of another tragedy happening was almost too much for the human Spectre to think about. Ash could see the worried look her mother was giving her and knew she was trying to think of anything to say to comfort her but doubted it would work.

"Sweaty listen to me. You have been given an opportunity to do great things and just because something went wrong no matter how horrific, there are people out there counting on you. You all have been through so much and have not stopped since the war ended...Shepard's not the only one who needs to recover and I have no idea why she's the only one out of all of you not here dealing with all of this. And before you say anything I do not begrudge her anything, she earned it...you all did but don't give up...learn from this and don't put all of this on your shoulders. Ask for help but keep going and show everyone...especially yourself that you are in the position you are in because you deserve it." Ashley's mom says with a smile. She could see the conflict written all over her daughters face, just like her husband had done so many times before. She could see her daughter was at the point of giving up and knew she had to comfort Ashley and the more she spoke the more the tension seemed to drain from Ashley's body.

"Alright mom...and thanks but I still have to get in touch with Shepard...im sure she'll want to know about Tali."

As she places her call to Liara's secure network there is a longer than normal pause before the call is answered. Ash figured they'd both be glued to their screens and want to know what was going on. Finally the call is answered and Williams sees a panic stricken Asari on the other end of the vid conference.

"Goddess Ashley I need help...please get me Miranda...we heard about Tali's ship and... Shepard collapsed and is not responsive. I don't know what to do!"


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: I hope everyone had a great couple of weeks...me I quite smoking recently after too many years so yeah I'm effing PERFECT. It's healthier, less money im spending and I don't smell like a chimney...I FEEL FINE...not having any side effects at all...at least I don't think I am...does wanting to strangle everyone I see who does smoke count as a side effect? **

**And since I am in such a GREAT mood I figured Id give a little hint as to what will be happening with everyone in the story...ready...here it comes...**

**THEY ALL DIE IN THE END!**

**You know eventually...from normal stuff like old age or an example could be Wrex could be on Tuchanka and get clubbed by a baby seal...or Garrus could go back to Omega and get hit by a NYC subway...you know normal stuff...Joker could go deep sea fishing and a tree could fall on him...or sadly Lara could go back to her archeology roots with Shepard at her side and be deep in a cavern digging in the dirt and get hit by lightning...and Kasumi could be trying to steal some incriminating evidence that includes Councilor Tevos and Aria just for kicks and get attacked by Big Foot...see now I shouldn't even joke about that last one since it could happen**

**Oh god Ive cracked...I think I wrote some words below or something. I hope they make sense and you enjoy and watch out for those baby seals.**

* * *

**Imagine Dragon**

**Radioactive**

I'm waking up to ash and dust  
I wipe my brow and I sweat my rust  
I'm breathing in the chemicals

I'm breaking in, shaping up, then checking out on the prison bus  
This is it, the apocalypse  
Whoa

I'm waking up, I feel it in my bones  
Enough to make my systems blow  
Welcome to the new age, to the new age  
Welcome to the new age, to the new age  
Whoa, oh, oh, oh, oh, whoa, oh, oh, oh, I'm radioactive, radioactive  
Whoa, oh, oh, oh, oh, whoa, oh, oh, oh, I'm radioactive, radioactive

I raise my flags, don my clothes  
It's a revolution, I suppose  
We'll paint it red to fit right in  
Whoa

I'm breaking in, shaping up, then checking out on the prison bus  
This is it, the apocalypse  
Whoa

I'm waking up, I feel it in my bones  
Enough to make my systems blow  
Welcome to the new age, to the new age  
Welcome to the new age, to the new age  
Whoa, oh, oh, oh, oh, whoa, oh, oh, oh, I'm radioactive, radioactive  
Whoa, oh, oh, oh, oh, whoa, oh, oh, oh, I'm radioactive, radioactive

All systems go, the sun hasn't died  
Deep in my bones, straight from inside

I'm waking up, I feel it in my bones  
Enough to make my systems blow  
Welcome to the new age, to the new age  
Welcome to the new age, to the new age  
Whoa, oh, oh, oh, oh, whoa, oh, oh, oh, I'm radioactive, radioactive  
Whoa, oh, oh, oh, oh, whoa, oh, oh, oh, I'm radioactive, radioactive  
**  
**

* * *

Panic; it was instantaneous after Liara had screamed. She knew what it meant and didn't want to believe it. Flashing on the screen, the name of the Admiral aboard the Quib Quib, someone who was a friend, Tali. Someone who had become family to the Commander and for the first time since her own families death, Shepard could not think of a single thing that she could do. Kerry felt paralyzed by the news of Tali's death and the paralysis soon turned into a deep pain coursing through her, as if she had been shot. Pain was everywhere and as much as she tried to calm herself down nothing worked. She hid her discomfort from Liara as best she could while trying to console her lover but when the pain went from her arm to her chest, it took every bit of strength she had not to cry out.

The last thing she remembered was Liara looking at her with concern in her eyes, saying something but it was garbled. She felt like she was floating through the air and as Liara reached out to her everything went black. She could hear her Asari's voice but still could not understand anything, then everything went dark.

Feeling Shepard's body tense as she was holding her, Liara initially thought Shepard was only reacting to the sad news of their friends demise. When the humans body began to fall out of her chair, was when Liara knew there was a problem. All thoughts turned towards Shepard and what had happened. She instantly remembered what Miranda had told her to keep her out of stressful situations but never thought for a moment that this recent event would cause this to happen. Shepard was recovering slowly but showed no real signs of regressing since the first couple of weeks after she woke up. She had been tired but continued to do light exercises and certain days were better than others and Miranda had told the Asari the reasons behind her slow recovery. At the time her nerves began to fade but here now, with her lover lying motionless on the floor Liara can't think straight. It was bad enough to hear the news on their friends death but the goddess be damned if the sire of her child was going to lose her life before it actually started. But she wasn't a medical doctor and only had a small amount of knowledge when it came to Shepard's condition. She needed Miranda or Chakwas but they were off dealing with their own problems and there was no possible way to get there anytime soon.

Liara could feel Kerry's pulse, could see her chest rise and fall slightly so she began to meld with her lover, to see what was ailing her. Liara could feel that Shepard was aware of the Asari's presence in her mind and welcomed it as always but Liara could tell she was weakening with each passing moment. The Asari sent over as much love and support as she could, feeling the pain her lover was going through, could feel it like it was coursing through her own body and above everything else she felt the emotional turmoil Shepard was dealing with. It was like reliving the destruction of the original Normandy all over again and Liara had to break the meld when she began to feel like she was suffocating, while watching her love die. Liara couldn't bear to see this happen again and certainly did not want to feel what Shepard had went through.

When they were reunited after taking down the shadow broker, Liara wanted to see everything that Shepard had experienced but the human refused. Mainly to protect the Asari from it all but also the fact that Shepard did not want to relive it. She could barely remember anything that had happened after getting Joker into the escape pod and wanted to keep it that way. During her time locked away at the Alliance base in Vancouver those thoughts started to come back and more than a few times Shepard found herself waking up gasping for air. After the war began new nightmares took its place but Liara was there for her and tried to reassure the Commander as much as she could. It didn't always work but Shepard was grateful for her Asari. They both comforted each other as much as they could but now there is no amount of comfort that would wake the human Spectre up, she needed help.

After breaking the meld, Liara went to get the oxygen mask and tank that was attached to the medical bed Shepard had been transported in. Coming back in she initially ignored the beep from her terminal, letting her know someone was trying to make contact. All of her focus was on Shepard's wellbeing. Wiping away her tears, Liara sits back after placing the mask over Shepard's mouth and nose and can only pray to the goddess that Kerry would be alright and the more she started to relax the more she began to focus. Scanning Shepard with her Omni so she could send the results directly to Miranda she decides to contact the ex cerberus operative and see what, if anything she can tell her to do. Realizing someone had been trying to get ahold of her she answers the call only to see Ashley Williams.

Liara could tell the human was under a tremendous amount of stress and knew there was a reason for her calling but Shepard's condition was deteriorating and help was needed.

"Goddess Ashley...I need help...please get me Miranda...we heard about Tali's ship and... Shepard collapsed and is not responsive. I don't know what to do!" Liara says, unable to keep the tears from falling. She was relieved that Williams had contacted her but knew Shepard was still in trouble.

"Liara what happened?" Ashely's concern grows as she sees the fear in Liara's blue eyes. She had only ever seen the Asari like this once before, when they were searching for the escape pod that they all thought held the commander after the collector attack. After the Asari explained what had transpired, Ashely called for Miranda to come to the loft and tried to console the visibly shaken Asari.

"Liara she'll be fine trust me. She just got you back so I doubt a little thing like a heart attack is going to stop her." Williams says reassuringly. She knew it wouldn't help but after her mothers inspiring words she felt a little better and did not want another friend to fall today.

"Is it true about Tali?" Liara asks hesitantly. She didn't want to hear the answer but knew the confirmation about the Quarians death would come out eventually. Ashely's mood quickly changes as she nods.

"I had EDI do a scan of the entire area and it came back with nothing. No escape pods, nothing. I can't even imagine what went wrong. Have you heard anything at your end Liara?"

"_Commander Williams?"_ EDI's voice comes across the ships comm. _"I believe I found the reason why the Quib Quib broke apart. It seems to have had a core malfunction in the engine room causing the Eezo to become unstable and I am currently searching for the forward section of the ship. We may have to move our search parameters..."_

"Wait!" Liara and Ashely say simultaneously. "What do you mean the forward part of the ship?"

_"As I have been offline for some time now, my systems have not been fully updated until recently so the schematics of each Quarian vessel had not been completely uploaded to my data banks. It appears that each Quarian ship had been fitted with a fail safe so if there was ever an incident such as this, the forward section could do an emergency 'break away' and continue to travel at FTL speed until the remaining fleet could stage a rescue."_

"Why did the scans come back negative for the ships life pods?" Liara asks

"_Each of the living Quarters were to automatically eject themselves if an incident were to arise such as this in case entire families were sleeping. Since each ship is only fitted with a skeleton crew the living quarters were most likely not utilized or..." _

"Or what?" Ashley asks, dreading the answer. As relieved as she was to hear the news that Tali could be alive she still Chief Harris and all the other Marines, her Marines onboard and was waiting desperately for EDI to give her an answer.

The A.I. pauses for a moment, not truly knowing how to continue. The bits and pieces of scattered data she had left over from before the Crucible fired showed the Quarian Tali'Zora vas Normandy was a friend to her and everyone else onboard. The synthetic still had enough of her memory before she mysteriously _shut_ _down _to know the true connection she gained over the course of the war. She could tell just by the two organics she was conversing with that they each had a sense of relief in there voices when they spoke but there was a tremendous amount of stress in the human and an emotion that could only be correlated as fear coming from the Asari. The A.I. still had files on the conversations she had with Commander Shepard on human and alien interactions, especially when it came to emotional responses to certain questions to include relationship advice. The first human Spectre was hesitant at first to discuss certain things especially when EDI asked Shepard about her own relationship with the Asari.

When the subject about Liara and Shepard being romantically involved was brought up the Commander could not figure out how the A.I. knew about it. EDI causally reminded Shepard that whenever each of them were in close proximity to each other their hormone levels would spike, indicating a unique arousal for one another and in turn gave EDI her answer of the feelings they both shared. It also helped the A.I. to reach a conclusion that they were romantically involved when each of them would spend the night in each others rooms causing the Commander to remind the ships 'nosey A.I.' about privacy and boundaries. EDI however was still trying to figure out why and how the human and Asari skin color could change so drastically when they were embarrassed. As much as EDI could process at once she had been tasked with finding survivors but with the emotion doctor T'Soni was currently portraying, she could not help but feel 'sorry' for her and the Commander. Labeling it as something to process later she answers Commander Williams query.

"_With the size of debris field I can say with a ninety seven percent certainty that the majority of the ship was destroyed before the escape pods could be deployed...I believe we are only looking for the bridge."_

"By the Goddess...all those people ...but she could still be alive!" Liara says, with a relieved sigh.

"How big of ship are we taking about EDI?" Ashley asks the AI, praying that there was some sort of silver lining to all of this.

"_It will only be the size of the Normandy. If this is in fact the case I can asses the casualty rate at eighty percent of what the Quib Quib was holding."_

* * *

X

X

X

X

"What kind of situation Primarch?" Garrus asks tentatively. Knowing all about the excursion the Alliance and the Quarians had planned with regards to evacuating Earth but he couldn't fathom what problems could have arose so quickly.

"Apparently the lead ship went through the relay and broke apart. We don't have..."

"The Normandy?" Garrus interrupts as his heart behinds to race at the thought of his former ship exploding again. Only able to think of his friends onboard and what kind of problems could have caused this to happen.

"No, it was a Quarian ship called the Quib Quib. Apparently it was to lead everyone through the relay. It had an Admiral Tali'Zorah... Wait isn't that...Garrus I'm sorry, I would have never..."

"It's fine Primarch." Garrus says, as the news of his Quarian lovers possible death sinks in. Victus didn't say it but the look the Primarch gave him spoke volumes. Unable to think straight Garrus can only stare off into the distance. Looking out over the devastation of his homeworld. The Reapers had been there in force and the destruction left in their wake left Vakarian wondering how his planet survived at all. The majority of the towering buildings that once stood proudly amongst the Palaven sky line had been turned to ruble and each city, a shell of what it once was. Nothing was recognizable to Garrus. During the war the Reapers knew the Turians were a threat and did everything they could to destroy them. They survived as a people but the remnance of his planet looked noting like what he remembered, especially his memories from when he was younger.

He began to think back to when he was younger, to when his father would bring him out to the range so he could teach his son how to shoot. Garrus always marveled at each building that surrounded his home town as they drove by in the sky car, enjoying the small amount of time that he and his father spent together. They had a small apartment on the citadel for when his father was a C-Sec officer and their home on Palaven. It was rare for them to spend time together but it was good when they did. His father taught him how to shoot with any weapon and how to calibrate each one to get the best results. He learned everything from his dad, his sister did as well and the more he thought about everything that had happened the more the guilt about being away starts to eat away at him. Now with the news of Tali's possible death his mind was reeling and he felt like he'd pass out at any moment. Feeling a hand on his arm he turns to see who it was. His sister instantly became concerned when Garrus walked away from the Primarch. She knew he had a friend with that name, knew they'd been in the fight since the beginning with Shepard and wished she could say or do something to help ease her brothers pain.

"Garrus? I'm so sorry...were you two close friends "

Nodding in reply he looks back out over the desolation that had become Palaven once more. His thoughts turning to his Quarian and what Ranoch looked like when they finally set foot on the planet, the Quarian future. Ranoch was an empty canvas, with the exception of a few Geth outposts and bases, the planet looked barren but the Quarian people had a chance to build it into a magnificent piece of art and actually seeing Tali's face after the mission, full of excitement and jubilation that her people had a home planet to go to after the war was won, gave the Turian hope that it was possible for everyone to do the same.

Now with the most recent reports of Palaven running low on food and water supplies as well as Earth having to be evacuated, along with the Quarian ship, her ship, exploding, he began to doubt if there was a future worth living in. They had all fought so hard, some sacrificed everything and each of them felt the loss that this war had created. It seemed as if the more they fought, the harder it became and the more they had to push themselves to continue on. Now was the time to reap in the reward of saying they survived the onslaught of a war deemed unwinnable and the more time went on it seemed that the galaxy was not done taking away his friends.

Vega, dying in his arms after he and the Alliance marine pulled everyone to safety after the explosion. How many missions did he go on, risk his life, only to be killed after the Reapers were destroyed? Now Tali, the scared Quarian 'kid' who was forced to grow up way to quickly. His friend turned lover, who impressed everyone she met was now gone, along with half a million humans and he did not want to think about any of it.

"What does Palaven need me to do?" Garrus asks turning to the two concerned Turians behind him.

"Garrus the Alliance is asking for our help in the matter...they still don't know what happened and whether there were survivors or not. We..."

"Primarch please...this is where I belong right now."

Letting out a sigh the Primarch informs the grieving Turian that food and water supplies were scarce and dwindling fast and even though they had adapted to the lack of atmosphere and protection from the sun, it seemed to be getting worse by the moment. It would seem that Earth was not the only planet suffering but with that being said there was help. Victus eagerly informed both of the Vakarian siblings how the Alliance had planned on sending their Army corp of Engineers to help with moving the remaining debris as well as creating plans to rebuild. The main focus the Alliance engineers had concern for was the lack of food and currently plans were in the works to deal with these shortages.

The Quarians had been sending supplies but could only part with so much. They too had sent support to the Turian home world as well so they could help but with the rapid decrease in supplies it wasn't enough. In only a matter of a few months time those Turians who'd survived the war could quite possibly die of starvation and if it could be helped, Garrus was not going to let that happen. He only hoped the Alliance support would be enough and as much as he did not want to dwell on the situation with Tali, knowing she was in good hands if she was alive, he knew it would be at the forefront of his mind and consume every waking thought he had.

Seeing his sisters expression he can only force a smile. She was concerned for her brother and didn't know what to say anymore. Garrus was as stubborn as both of their parents combined and that knowledge alone forced her not to press the issue, letting the elder Vakarian deal with his turmoil his own way, to give it time. Time that they finally had to be together but time that was quickly slipping away in regards to their peoples survival. Even with all of this being true Solara wanted to make sure Garrus was making the right decision.

"Are you sure?..about not going...we can handle it while you gone. She seems to have been a close friend so if she is alive I'm sure she'd want you there."

Rubbing his hands across his face in frustration he looks towards his sister. She was his only family left and did not want to miss anything, again. But at the same time his family had grown over the years and they were currently in need of help.

"Of all the times I've set my mind on doing something...I don't understand why this decision is the hardest."

"Because back when the war was going on you thought your place was next to the human...next to your friends side, saving us all, while we lived on oblivious to what was coming. You said it yourself no one believed you...I'm sorry to say we...we had a hard time seeing the truth that our very lives, our existence was ever threatened. Like you said, you set your mind to help save the galaxy...and he may have never said it but father was proud of you...we all are." She says to him, hoping to relieve him of some of the inner battle he was going through.

"Thank you. Spirits, I'm gone for a few years and you become smarter than me. How'd that happen?" He teases. What she said helped in his decision but he was still hesitant on going anywhere until he knew his sister was safe.

Almost seemingly reading his thoughts his sister continues."We'll be fine Garrus, go. And as far as being smarter, I always was but you never shut up enough to let me talk when we were younger...stubborn, pain is all you were...and fourth best shot in the family I might add."

"I'll have you know that I am king of the bottle shooters...have the trophy to prove it." Garrus says in a smug tone. "And as far as being stubborn and a pain...I think the humans call it being a jack ass. Seriously Solara if I'm going to go i'd like you by my side...plus I'd like you to meet some of the crew and if Tali..." He trails off a little, not wanting to say the words, fearing it may be true. He had slowly come to grips with the fact that Tali could in fact be gone. Yet the galaxy had shined down on them all and brought Shepard back to them time after time so if it happened once more he would not complain one bit and wanted his remaining family there with him either way.

"Of course I'll come with you. I'd love to meet your friends...just so I can tell them all about you." She says, the last part of her statement laced with sarcasm. She knew the real reason Garrus wanted her there and welcomed the fact that her brother was asking for help in his own way. She knew that part of the reason he even proposed to stay was his feelings of guilt over him not being there when his parents died. He had a job to do at the time but with everything slowing down Garrus, along with everyone else started to lose themselves in their thoughts. But it had been months since the Reapers were defeated and Garrus spent the majority of that time trying to figure a way back home.

Now that he is home and being given a position among the ranks of the Turian government he has the opportunity to relieve some of the guilt. Since the majority of the problems have been or will be dealt with Garrus was not needed at the moment on Palaven. Helping to keep the alliances between the humans and Quarians was just as important.

X

X

X

X

"Liara what's wrong?" Miranda suddenly appears with a worried expression. The Asari had been deep in thought about her last conversation with William's and the ships AI. The news was both bad and good. There was a chance that Tali was still alive somewhere but there was a bigger chance that all the humans on board had perished. This was supposed to be a time of life, of starting over and building a future in peace. Everyone was supposed to be celebrating their survival and looking forward to what life would bring them. With the information given to them by EDI there was no future for them and there was nothing that could be done for them. Searching for the remaining section of the Quarian ship, if there was one, was the main priority. The Asari can only hope her friend is alright but can only focus on her lovers condition.

Looking back at her screen, Liara fills Lawson in on the Commanders current condition as Ashley excuses herself to head to the bridge. With the news that the ships AI had just given them, a more extensive search was needed to be done. She can only hope that EDI was correct and the safe guards were utilized, saving as many people as possible. But the Asari was growing weary of everything. This was their time to be together and once again, something was getting in the way.

Lawson tells the visibly upset Asari to place Shepard back in the medical bed as it was connected directly to Miranda and doctor Chakwas's Omni-tool so they could monitor her vitals. Miranda could tell Liara's patience was thining rapidly, Shepard was supposed to be recovering but whatever was done to her by Cerberus in the hospital had more of an effect on the human than originally anticipated by anyone.

"Miaranda I thought you told me that Shepard would recover? She seems to be getting worse by the moment!" Liara says a little harsher than she intended to. She knew the woman in front of her had helped them both in the past, continued to be there but the Asari maiden was beyond frustrated.

"Yes she should be Liara. I don't know why she is regressing...I've ran countless tests of her blood and there is no signs of the drug they gave to her. I ..."

"You were obviously wrong or else this would not be happening to her!" The Asari interrupts. She was tired of the excuses and only wanted her bondmate to be healthy.

Miranda lets out a sigh of frustration, closing her eyes to center herself so she did not snap back at the Asari. She knew Liara was hurting and confused but they had a crisis of their own to deal with and they were all on edge.

"Liara listen to me. Whether I was wrong or not does not matter. What does matter is you keeping Shepard away from the terminals and do not let her hear anything more about what is going on. It was the whole purpose behind you both going to that planet...to recover and be away from everything. Also, she will need to be connected to the medical bed on a daily basis so she can be monitored more effectively until I can upgrade her Omni- tool with that function." Miranda says looking down at a message that just came to her terminal. Not seeing the Asari's features change from agitation to sadness.

Knowing all that was done for the both of them by the ex Cerberus operative the Asari began to realize that her frustrations were being taken out on the one person who had truly been there. She was just so tired of it all, the outside forces that would seem to be trying to pull them apart at a constant. She could only pray to the Goddess that this would be the last time.

"Miranda I apologize...I did not mean to blame you for anything." Liara says before Miranda could continue. "If not for you then..."

"It's quite alright Liara. Everyone is on edge and I don't blame you for being upset. I do however, need to discuss Shepard's future. I know what you said to Admiral Hackett and councilor Tevos about the Commander's retirement but there isn't anything official. With recent events I do believe it is my duty as a doctor and ...her friend that she be medically retired."

Concentrating only on the last two words, the Asari did not know how to feel. Excited at the fact that once and for all Shepard would truly be free from the responsibility of coming to the aid of the galaxy. Upset that Liara knew how the Commander felt and wanted to leave the Alliance on her own terms but either way she'd be done and would be home with her family.


	8. Vitamin R (Leading us along)

**A/N; Good lord this chapter took forever...but as you all know when the four horseman come for a visit it's hard to concentrate on much...(four horsemen aka parents/ in laws). And please remember that I have a method to my madness.**

**As always feedback is welcome and I hope you enjoy. **

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**"Vitamin R (Leading Us Along)"**

Some will learn; many do. Cover up or spread it out.

Turn around, had enough, Pick and choose or pass it on.

Buying in, heading for, Suffer now or suffer then.

It's bad enough I want the fear... need the fear

Cause he's alone... (he has become)... He's alone... (he has become)

Well if they're making it, (making it) Then they're pushing it, (pushing it)... And they're leading us along

The hassle of all (hassle of) the screaming fits (screaming fits) ...That panic makes remorse

After all, what's the point? Course levitation is possible. If you're a fly; achieved and gone

Theres time for this and so much more. It's typical - create a world A special place of my design. To never cope or never care just use the key

Cause he's alone (he has become) He's alone (he has become)

Well if they're making it, (making it) Then they're pushing it, (pushing it)... And they're leading us along

The hassle of all (hassle of) the screaming fits (screaming fits) ...That panic makes remorse

Over and Over a slave

Became Over and Over a slave...

Well if they're making it, (making it) Then they're pushing it, (pushing it) And they're leading us along

The hassle of ...all the SCREAMING FITS. That panic makes remorse

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"Goddess Aethyta I don't know what else to do for Shepard." Liara says as the call connects and the Matriarch answers. She hadn't heard much from her sire since arriving at their new home and didn't know who else to call. Shepard's vitals had been expected to improve but it seemed she was getting worse with each passing moment. Liara had tried to be calm about it all for the most part but as soon as the Matriarch answered the call, tears instantly flooded Liara's eyes.

"Liara...what's going on?" Aethyta asks. The last thing the elder Asari knew was that the human had woken up and she had figured the lack of contact was due to her daughter being 'occupied'. To see and hear Liara this upset was concerning to say the least.

"I...I don't know. We heard about Tali's ship and Shepard just collapsed." Liara begins as she takes a breath to calm her nerves so she can continue to relive what had been happening. She starts to tell her father all about how Miranda and the other Alliance doctors, are unable to find anything wrong as of yet. The hardest part was thinking that Kerry was going to be alright but with Shepard's slow recovery and then the news on the Quarian ship and how it effected the Commander, nothing seemed to be getting any better.

"Look kid I want to help but I'm no doctor...I'm sure Miranda will find out what's wrong with her. Just like I'm sure you're doing everything you can for her." Seeing the worry on Lara's face after the words left the Matriarchs mouth, she continues. "I've never been good at this shit...listen I won't tell you something just because it may make you feel better. I have no idea about her condition and if I say she'll be fine and something happens...I just got you into my life I don't need you to hate me because I gave you false hope."

Smiling at the heart-felt words Liara tells Aethyta the real reason for the call. "I know...I just needed to feel normal for a minute, talk to someone. I wish there was something to discuss rather than the recovery from the war and..."

"And something happening to either you or your bondmate every five seconds." Aethyta finishes for her daughter. Aethyta was right when she said she was never any good at saying the right thing when someone was hurting but this was Liara. The maiden had let her into her life after so long apart, and Aethyta was grateful for it all. Even Shepard had wanted a relationship with the Matriarch and that was when they all thought Liara was gone. Now with the both of them being alive the elder Asari wanted to make sure she did what she could for the couple and right now the Maiden needed a break and so did Aethyta.

She had been on Thessia since the last battle on the Citadel and was put in charge of the remaining Asari Commandos by Councilor Tevos in order to keep the peace while the basic necessities, like water and food were made available so the Asari as a people could go back to their home-world. Just like the rest of the other races, most Asari were scattered across the galaxy. Some had returned to Thessia, others to Illium or any world that could or would accept them. Most places were trying to do the same everywhere, get their planets livable again so resources and assistance was sparse. It wasn't a matter of whether a government or planet wanted to help, it had become a matter of could they help and that was turning into the real problem. What had continued to give everyone hope is that with everything going on the human race, led by Admiral Hackett had been the most helpful.

They lost their own planet, had sustained the greatest amount of casualties yet the humans found a way to help whomever they could. The galaxy was getting exactly what it needed, everyone was beginning to pull together. It had devastated everyone when the Asari planet fell to the Reapers but now with the war over, the once proud and beautiful planet had the possibility of being brought back to its glory.

It would definitely take time and with their longer lifespans most could see the day when there would be no signs of war but with that longer lifespan the Asari had the opportunity to lead everyone into the future and continually remind the other races of the mistakes of the past. Mistakes that everyone had fresh on their minds. Even with all the bashing Cerberus did to Shepard in order to make her look like a traitor to humanity they made one thing abundantly clear; Shepard knew about the Reapers, knew they were coming, told the Council yet nothing was done. Everyone had been left in the dark about the upcoming war and they could not fathom the fact that they were not warned ahead of time. Sure there was the possibility of galaxy wide panic, which would have been devastating in and of itself, especially if the stories about the Reapers were false. But the council governments were warned, given proof, were given time to get ready and make preparations, any preparations for the coming invasion yet it seemed as if nothing was done.

There was much debate on the newly formed Galactic news network, with regards to the reasons why the council was quiet on the Reaper invasion. Countless amounts of people, from politicians to people off the street, talked about the subject and who was right or wrong and why. In the end only one thing mattered to everyone; countless lives were lost in a war that each of their leaders knew about and nothing was done, so someone was to blame.

Tevos had been taking an enormous amount of flack and had hoped her physical presence on Thessia along with the remaining Matriarchs would show everyone that she was trying. It took some time but eventually some came around and saw what the Asari Councilor was trying to do. She was grateful for Aethyta, who stood by her side as the Matriarch's outspoken nature showed all who listened that change was possible and Tevos was up to the task. They would thrive once again but to not lose faith in the leaders. Tevos soon began to realize that the direction everyone was headed in may be the path less taken but they'd reach the ultimate goal with or without the current leaders.

Unfortunately for Tevos she realized before most of her counterparts that she may be out of her position sooner than expected, as her presence on Thessia and everyone feeling sorry for her due to her being kidnapped, only lasted for so long. They saw what she was doing and appreciated it but the lack of leadership since before and during the war overtook everything else. Aethyta soon found herself a 'go-between' for Tevos and lost her patience with it all, quickly. This wasn't her role and she could give a fuck less if the Asari councilors approval ratings were slipping, people needed help. Aethyta was relived to get back to her role after she told Tevos to handle her political career on her own but talking to Liara was a nice change of pace.

Tevos and Aethyta had left together to go back to Asari space after Shepard and Liara were rescued and the Matriarch wished she had more time with her daughter. They had had contact with each other briefly but now it would seem that they both needed a break.

Aethyta knew Tevos talked to Liara about becoming a leader but didn't know what was said and figured she'd find out in due time. If the offer had been made to Liara to become a leader, Aethyta hoped her daughter would think hard on the matter. With how young Liara was she had yet to really be listened to and Aethyta did not want that to continue but at the same time Liara was looked upon as a hero and that stigma of being too young may have been erased. The Matriarch was about to ask her about it when Liara spoke up first.

"I need to know something. What is your relationship with Aria T'Loak?"

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"Have you been able to look over Shepard's latest scans yet Miri?" Oriana asks as she enters her sisters office. The younger Lawson had taken an interest in the Commanders well being since arriving on Earth to help Miranda with the Spectre's recovery. Since being assigned to help the Normandy's doctor she'd become more educated on Kerry's background, mainly from Chakwas's drunken rants but also doing her own research. Oriana had become enthralled with Shepard's medical past and it amazed her how the first human Spectre even survived most of her injuries.

With how quickly Shepard recovered from all of her injuries since being 'rebuilt' by Cerberus, Oriana was baffled at the most recent scan of the Spectre. There was obviously an underlining reason as to what was happening to her but no one who had looked at any of her scans could figure out what they were. From herself to Chakwas and even a few doctors in the Alliance who had looked over the results, no on had an idea of what to do. The problem was, or what was becoming the consensus, was that the ones who would know what to do, were the ones who caused all of this and they were dead.

Everyone who knew Shepard wanted to help her but with everything that was happening with the Quib Quib and the remaining ships still waiting to go through the relay, time was at a premium. The Lawson sisters were not technically in the military but still had a job to do and a Spectre for a boss so they still had to follow orders. Even with Williams being Shepard's friend, the focus was solely on the remaining refugees waiting in the Sol system. Still though the Normandy's commanding officer made it a point to have Miranda message her with any new information regarding Kerry's health.

"I have and I have an idea as to why this is happening to her but I need to do an actual physical examination of her and there is no way I can right now. Commander Williams isn't going to let me leave, even though she needs..."

"Miranda relax." Her sister says to her. The ex-Cerberus operative had been speaking quickly and was obviously flustered. "I know we signed up for this but maybe there is a way for one of us to go there and check up on her."

"With everything going on Ori, there is no way Williams will allow any of us to leave." Miranda begins. "There is too much for her to do, for us to do, for me to even entertain asking her...But I fear the report I have drafted for the council and the Alliance may have to be sent no matter what I find."

"Ask who, what and what report?" Chakwas asks coming into Lawson's room. As soon as she walked into the ex- Cerberus operatives office she could tell both Lawson women were under a tremendous amount of stress and not just because of Shepard's condition or the current situation with Tali. The look that both of them gave her was almost relief at the fact that the Normandy's doctor had showed up.

Since coming back to Earth and redeploying to aid in the human home worlds evacuation Chakwas had been in contact with the majority of the crew, new and old. Most just needed someone to talk to but others would only ask for something to help them sleep and say nothing else. Chakwas still had her own sleepless nights since being abducted by the Collectors and knew not to pry but with the look certain people had when they entered her office it was hard for her to keep quiet sometimes.

With her frustration growing at the increasing amount of people, military and civilian alike showing signs of severe post traumatic stress issues, Chakwas concerns needed to be voiced to the upper Alliance brass, namely Admiral Hackett. She had contacted him on numerous occasion to fill him in on what she had observed and to basically tell him 'she had a crew full of Commander Shepard's running around telling everyone they are fine', when that was the furthest thing from the truth. The doctors main concern was how much any person could handle human or otherwise until they reached their breaking point. Understanding the fact that there is a job to do and there was no real break for anyone she implored Hackett to grant leave to anyone who asked for it or for people the doctor herself had suggested. That had been before the current tragedy happened, which didn't change how she felt and knew it would only add to everyone's stress level but also realized no one, not even she would stop, there was too much at stake for anyone to sit down much less go on a break.

This reasoning however, immediately brought her thoughts to her former commander and what Shepard was currently dealing with. She had been through so much and it seemed to be continuing and she was getting flack for basically disappearing by the press and most humans. It wasn't fair but Chakwas could understand certain ways of thinking by people but with everything Shepard had went through, saving everyone to include her naysayers, she deserved a break. Kerry's current condition also gave the Normandy doctors argument backing, as far as how far you could push someone. Chakwas knew her 'daughters' would be back in the thick of things soon and they needed this time away from everything to recuperate but it looked as if the galaxy was going to force Shepard to come back early.

"Dr. Chakwas I was just going to contact you about Shepard's latest scan and... Oriana wanted to ask commander Williams if one of us can go to Shepard and Liara's home to do a more thorough examination but..."

"It's exactly what I asked her in a message so we should hear back from her soon. Williams may be busy but she surely knows when to make time to see that her friends and family are cared for. And right now two of them are in need and even with everything going on Shepard's well- being is on her mind as well. With that being said you mentioned you found something in her latest scan?"

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As a Turian you are taught to not show any weaknesses, especially emotions but right now Garrus can only sit on the shuttle and wait as he tries in vane to not to show how he truly feels. His one and only thought is whether or not Tali is alive. After their discussion with the Turian Primarch who arraigned for immediate travel so they could meet up with the Alliance, both Vakarian siblings had rushed off. Garrus had filled his sister in on the exact nature of his relationship with the Quarian and Solana was more than sympathetic to his feelings. She knew it had to be hard to get involved with someone during a war, not knowing if one or both of you would be injured or worse. She made it a point to try and console her brother and try to keep his spirits up but also knew Garrus's thoughts were focusing on the negative.

With his leg bouncing up an down for the last fifteen minutes his sister had to ask numerous times for him to stop and could only pray to the spirits that they'd make it to the Normandy soon. And when the pilot of the shuttle came over the ships comm to inform them that they'd be docking with the Normandy within the hour she could only breathe a sigh of relief but even with the news of there destination being close his nerves seemed to grow and he stands up and starts to pace.

"Garrus please you are making _me_ stressed out...and if you don't relax you'll end up putting yourself in the infirmary before we get there." She says grabbing his hand. "Please sit and relax...why don't you tell me all about this great Commander I'll be meeting."

"Shepard?..She is on leave but you'll meet her soon enough." He finally says sitting back down next to his sister. "She's someone I think dad would've actually liked and she's someone who has pulled my ass out of the fire more times than I can count. Treated me like family since day one and showed me how the galaxy actually worked...she's definitely someone I look up to...I guess you could say she's a weird looking sister you knew nothing about." Laughing a little at the last part of his description of his friend. Even with her not around he'd always find time to make fun of her.

"Well, she sounds like someone who may be more than a friend?" Solana asks.

"Yeah I may have had a chance... if I were an Asari and looked like Liara, oh yeah and was pregnant with her child...getting bonded soon...could do a mind meld...looked good in a bikini..."

"Alright I got it...your not her type. Didn't need the vision of you in _my_ skivvies...spirits I'm never going to sleep." Solana says, covering her eyes.

"Thank you...for being here. This is going to be tough no matter the outcome so...thank you." Garrus replies, appreciating the change in subject and the fact that his last remaining family is here for him, considering their past tension.

"You don't have to...its what family does. No matter what happens, I'm here."

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"Athames ass Liara! Where did that come from?" Aethyta asks, a little unsure how to exactly answer. She knew this was going to be an eventual question but not this soon. She had noticed the way Aria would 'hover' over Shepard, Tevos and especially Liara. She knew why the Omega leader was protective of the two Asari but not too sure about the human and knew Liara noticed it as well.

"I saw how she looked at you...at all of us and it can't be due to her wanting to get in all of our pants at the same time." Liara says sarcastically, even though part of the statement had some merit to it. "I saw how the two of you interacted... and it also can't be a coincidence that she helped me on Omega. It was certainly not out of the goodness of her heart."

"You knew about that?"

"Of course I did. Maybe not at the time but I did notice certain things and I did become a very good information broker...It was easy to deduce when her men showed up right when I was severely outnumbered." It took a while but Liara eventually figured out that she had help while she was on Omega trying to retrieve Shepard's body. The Maiden figured that Feron was the only help Cerberus was going to offer her and no one else knew she was even there so the last choice was Aria. She had met with the Queen of Omega and basically demanded her help. After hearing about her reputation she figured T'Loak would have shot her on the spot but there was a certain 'look' Aria had during their discussion that made Liara comfortable, as weird as it sounded at the time. Still the young Maiden felt a familiarization with the Omega leader even though they had never met, at least Liara could remember meeting her.

"Look, how about we talk about something else... like how we are all taking bets on which one in the council is going to get shot first and by who."

"Father please...do not speak of such things...the galaxy is in enough turmoil." Liara says admonishing the elder Asari. "And I'd appreciate you not speaking on the matter when Shepard wakes up, I do not want her upset any further."

"Well that'll be hard since most of us are convinced she'd be the one doing the shooting. I mean at first it was tied between you and Shepard but then Hackett came into the mix and pushed you to the back...heh...thought he was going to pick up the Salarian Dalatrass and beat the Turian councilor with her. Would have been priceless..."

"Aethyta!" Liara yells, starting to regret the decision to make the call in the first place. "Is there a reason why you won't discuss your relationship with Aria?"

As the Matriarch begins to think of what to say to distract Liara from the topic she was pushing to hear about, the real reason comes forward in her mind, Benezia. Her mood suddenly changes and she moves to the kitchen in her make-shift apartment to retrieve a bottle of the good stuff. When the war first ended she found herself at the bottom of multiple bottles on a daily basis. The speculation of Liara dying and her loosing the last remaining family member hit the Matriarch hard. Her hatred of Shepard became her only motivation for living and the ryncol made it easier to move. Once she realized the Commander was not to blame and the human needed help, Aethyta slowed down the drinking, somewhat. She soon realized that each time she helped Shepard she in turn helped herself and needed the alcohol less to make it through each day. The fact that Liara was alive also helped in the matter but here, now, her daughter was asking about a part of her life that she didn't want to deal with. Unfortunately for the Matriarch, Liara was not going to let the subject go that easily. But before she could come up with some excuse she begins to see the almost pleading look on Liara's face. The Maiden had contacted her for a reason, she needed a distraction from everything so Aethyta tilts her head back, draining the glass and begins to relive a past, thought forgotten.

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After the ship Garrus and Solana are on docks with the Normandy, they enter the airlock and prepare to board the Alliance ship. Standing there waiting, Garrus can only shake his head, realizing that as much as he wanted to help his home world recover, it seemed that the Normandy continued to call him back, as if it was a living thing and needed him to calibrate...something. He shrugs his shoulders and figures he has to look at the ship as being alive since EDI _is_ the Normandy, or something. As the doors open he is a little surprised at who is there to great them.

"Wrex, Grunt...what are you doing here? I figured you'd be on Tuchanka...mating." He says cringing a little.

"Ha...that's why I like you Vakarian, you always made me laugh...also why I didn't space you even if we all wanted to see if you could fly." Wrex says as he smacks Garrus on the shoulder, causing the Turian to move back a few steps.

"Lizard"

"Chicken" Wrex fires back causing Grunt to laugh heartedly.

"Salamander" Garrus says to the younger Krogan causing both of the Tuchanka natives to become quiet.

"Now that's just mean Garrus."

"Seriously Wrex why are you here?"

"We need your help. You seem to have an in with the humans and this Williams female is no Shepard and she won't listen to me. I told her we needed to get back before someone with half a quad tries to take over."

"Okay... but I'm not sure what I can do and you still didn't answer my question."

"Fine...Liara sent me a message and asked me to help convince the humans to leave Earth after you and all the other whelps left to go home... so we stayed...happy now?"

"Should I even ask how you 'convinced' the humans to leave...never mind...but I must say it seems like your slipping Wrex I heard only half the humans left. Your not as scary as you used to be huh?"

Speaking up quickly at her brothers lack of sense, Solana nervously tells her brother to shut up. "Garrus we just got here, I wanted to see the ship before we die!"

"Relax, we're old friends." He says with a smile looking at his sister. Turning back towards the visibly pissed Krogan he continues. "Look, Wrex I will talk to Ashley but there's a lot going on and I'm sure she needs all the help she can get."

"Garrus good to see you." A familiar voice comes from behind the four of them. Ashley had heard the Turian had boarded and went to meet her old crew mate. As she made her way around the corner she began to speak until she saw the two Krogan standing there. Wrex had been bothering her since before the Quarian ship exploded, about heading to Tuchanka as soon as they could since they helped with the evacuation of Earth. Williams had said multiple times she'd arrange transport for them as soon as it was possible but apparently that answer wasn't good enough. She knew Krogan were not known for their patience but this was getting ridiculous.

"Wrex please I know you need to get home but I have a lot going on." When the Krogan began to say something she cuts him off, all of her own patience now gone. "Look I'd offer you the Quib Quib but it's in pieces right now and I forgot my shuttle in my other fucking uniform...Now if it is that important that you get home so there's not another rebellion or you think you'll miss out on a piece of ass, try this out. Grunt get on Wrex's shoulders and Wrex you can sit on your dick and pedal your balls...and when you get home let me know how your trip was but until that time I'd appreciate it if you'd let me do my job!"

Now wide eyed and staring at the human in disbelief, all four in front of her didn't dare say a word to the Spectre. The two Krogan knew they hit a nerve with the human female and so, at that moment, Wrex made the decision to be quiet and stay and help.

Solana didn't know what to say. She'd never really met a human before and knew they were high strung but didn't think they all had a death wish and their sayings were bordering on ridiculous. This trip was turning into mistake and she figured she'd keep quiet until she noticed the younger Krogan had a question.

"Wait, we can do that?" Grunt asks in confusion. Williams sighs in frustration and was about to rip into him when the unknown Turian begins to speak.

"Commander Williams, I'm Solana Vakarian, Garrus's sister. It is a pleasure to meet you." She says gaining the attention of the Spectre, holding out her hand in the human greeting. "I was hoping there was somewhere private we could talk."

Wanting to get away, Ashely is appreciative of the female Turian that was in front of her, Williams nods and leads the way to the conference room. Once there Garrus asks what was going on and what they could do to help. With EDI's assistance Williams explained what they all thought happened and what the next course of action would be. Ashely knew why Garrus was there and felt the same way. She had someone special in her life onboard the Quarian vessel and could only hope they were alright.

"It's good to see you Garrus and thanks for the help. I just want you to be aware that it may not be pretty."

"Yeah I've been getting ready for what might be. At least you and EDI are giving me hope...and I think I may have a solution to your Krogan problem." Garrus says offering up the ship they just arrived on. After the Spectre's outburst Garrus figured it was only a matter of time before someone got hurt. After Williams graciously accepted the offer, hugging him so hard she nearly tackled the Turian to the ground they went over the next stage in the rescue and recovery.

They had scanned all the surrounding planets, had sent drones throughout the debris field but had yet to send any manned ships. Williams had her crew ready and needed someone to lead the second shuttle to which Garrus graciously accepted. It was a long shot, everyone knew it but Garrus figured sometimes relying on a computer to do work that an organic can do, wasn't necessarily the best way all the time.

Even if the scans EDI did where as thorough as they could be, each one of the Quarians friends knew they'd feel better doing the search themselves. It's what they tried to do when the original Normandy was attacked and Shepard was lost.

They searched for days for the Commanders body before the Alliance officially ended it and declared her dead. An empty coffin was all that was left for the crew to bury. Rumors had spread that Shepard's body had been recovered but no one listened to them with the exception of Liara. The Asari made it her quest to bring merit to the speculation, especially after being contacted by the illusive man. When it was realized that her body was actually retrieved and when rumors of her being alive had continued to surface, once again with the exception of Liara, no one believed it until the Commander started to show up in certain areas across the galaxy. Her former crew felt horrible about giving up on her so quickly and didn't want to make the mistake again.

Eventually Ashley began to hear about all the Shepard sightings. It bothered her to think that anyone would even joke about Shepard being alive, especially since the ship she was supposedly traveling in looked like the Normandy and had Cerberus markings. Then the commander showed up on Horizon and Williams could only think of one thing, she actually survived the collector attack, was rescued and eventually joined Cerberus. Everything pointed to the rescue party only needing to search a little longer and the elder Williams began to feel horrible. She doubted all the stories of Cerberus bringing her back to life, that was impossible and her own explanation was the only one to make sense. Either way her loved ones needed a body to bury and didn't have one with the Commander, so if Tali was truly gone Garrus and the remaining Normandy crew needed to find her, now.

Ashley had always carried a small amount of guilt as well as Garrus but here, now, would be a time when they would not give up with their search for Tali. Finding her was top priority; alive or not was the next question the search party didn't know if they were ready to have answered.

_"Commander Williams?"_

"Yes EDI" Ashley answers the ships AI. They were all headed to the ships cargo hold to get the rescue squads together when EDI's voice came across the ships COMM.

"_You have an Admiral Shala' Raan vas Tonbay requesting to speak with you."_

"Shit...Alright EDI tell her I'm on my way." She had hoped to delay this conversation with the other Quarian Admirals until after they had figured out what had happened but she wasn't going to be so lucky. The only thing she could do now is try and come up with an excuse and hope Admiral Raan believed her.

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"Miranda you have no right! None at all...you can't just end her career without even discussing it with anyone, especially Shepard!" Oriana nearly screams the last sentence at her sister. They had been going over the latest scan of the Commander and Miranda had thought she had figured out what Cerberus had given her and what it's purpose was, chemical make-up, everything. Just not how to counteract it. What Miranda did know was that Cerberus had basically poisoned her.

"Ori please calm down. There are reasons other than what I am telling the council why this needs to happen. I've discussed this with Doctor Chakwas and she agrees..."

"So what!..so she had a panic attack and collapsed so now she can't be in the Alliance anymore? I don't understand any of this. What aren't you saying? What would make you think this is the best option?"

Sighing a little Miranda looks towards the Normandy's doctor for an affirmation to tell her sister anything. Nodding, Dr. Chakwas tells the younger woman to sit, that this was going to take a while to explain.

Miranda began to explain that there were three functions to the 'drug'. The first everyone knew already and that was the Commander was injected with a serum in order to turn her into a controllable husk of sorts. Husks were mindless zombie-like creatures but what doctor Gallagher had come up with lessened the effect on the subjects brain. All motor and cognitive functions would be there but the subject would be easier to control. Lawson had described it to Liara as a form of indoctrination without the use of Reaper tech so not as disfiguring.

Miranda had deduced with how strong willed Shepard was and how much she was able to withstand indoctrination that the former Cerberus leaders would have tried to install a control chip. None of Miranda's scans came back with anything that showed they'd been successful so it had made it easier for Kerry to fight off the effects but what she did find concerned her.

The second process had the serum work like a cell and it attached itself to the nanites in her blood stream and record the function of not only it's host but each individual implant she had installed throughout her body. Everything Miranda had done to the commander to help sustain and lengthen her life had been recorded, analyzed and the data sent to an apparent remote location. Miranda knew that this location needed to be found as soon as possible and only hoped no one had been able to retrieve it. What she could not figure out initially was why this was needed at all.

The only thing that was plausible that Miranda could come up with is that they wanted a clone or to be able to clone what Miranda had done. An exact replica of the great commander Shepard. With a clone they could continue to bypass the DNA function on the crucible and never have to worry about their Shepard fighting back. The faux Shepard would live on and continue to do Cerberus's bidding without question. The only thing Lawson had a problem with, is proving this was in fact the reason for the data collection. Certainly they wanted to find a way to increase their own lifespans but why kill off Shepard?

Having a controllable servant help control the galaxy was easier then trying to keep Shepard in line by using Liara or their child as blackmail. Cerberus had the perfect plan but their execution sucked. Miranda had internally debated over it all and she decided if they had slowed down and been successful it was likely that no one would have be able to stop them. The galaxy was still in a weakened state and before anyone could react Cerberus would have had complete control.

She could not say with any certainty that this was the reason for the records being stored but she did know that her and Oriana would have been next at some point since she was the one who created the implants. The more she dug into the doctors backgrounds the more she uncovered, so the last phase of the drug did not surprise her in least. In fact it helped her better understand Cerberus's motives.

The third function, the one that did give convince Miranda that a clone was being 'built' and they eventually wouldn't need the hero of the galaxy was the fact that those same cells that had attached to her nanites were acting like a genetically modified form of cancer and it was aggressive. Miranda theorized that this may have been a last resort if Shepard began to fight back. What Lawson had noticed was these cells that were releasing the toxin could be controlled. The problem was now, there was no one left to lessen the affects of the serum. If a cure or an antibody could not be found the chances of Shepard living past the next six months were slim. The more Miranda thought about it, the more irony she saw in the entire situation.

The actual medical term for the process was radioisotope. It was invented in the mid twentieth century but it was used as a cure to try an eradicate cancers. Apparently doctor Gallagher had reversed the effects and it was supposed to attack the hosts bone marrow, blood stream and all major organs and basically kill them from the inside out. Due to Shepard's bone weave surgery and the implants healing her, and her organs quickly, it was slowing the process down but not stopping it and neither Miranda nor Chakwas knew what to do.

All of this however was just speculation on the part of Lawson. She had been able to separate Shepard's blood cells and nanites from one another and see what Gallagher had done but the reality of it all is that Miranda was not sure. Chakwas had looked over the results and even had sent them out to friends of hers in the medical field. Most sent it back to her not knowing what they were even looking at, which only worried everyone even more. The biggest question is whether or not Shepard could be cured but as of right now they needed a biopsy of her kidney and liver and someone to physically see the results of the blood tests.

Commander Williams had made her decision and Oriana was allowed to leave the Normandy in order to preform the necessary procedures that Miranda required. She was in the middle of getting ready to go when Miranda had made mention that no matter the outcome she was going to send her recommendation to the council and Alliance that Shepard be medically discharged. She had only mentioned it to Chakwas and Liara and the Asari was extremely receptive to the idea but was biased. Mentioning it to her sister seemed to have become problematic.

"Her vitals are falling and this may be killing her quicker than we all realized...how can she be expected to go into battle with all of this happening to her?"

"So your just going to make a decision based off of a scan that she can no longer perform her duties? You heard Tevos, even with her being out of it from whatever they did to her she still managed to fight her way out even before you all got there. I thought you were her friend..."

"I am!" Miranda yells back. "This is why I'm doing this because she's my friend." Tears start to form in the eyes of the elder Lawson. They'd become close. Closer than Miranda had been to anyone else and it seemed she was about to lose her once again. "Every time something goes right, ten things happen to screw it up...I can't imagine what Liara is going through and I'm not going to sit idly by and watch her throw her life away by going out on missions, getting herself killed in the process...she has a family to worry about now...but if I'm right it may not matter."

"And I get it Miri." Oriana says a little calmer now. "I really do but it's not your call."

"But it is mine." Chakwas says in agreeance with the ex-Cerberus operative. With as much as the Commander had went through and what she was going to have to deal with, the Normandy's doctor knew there was no way Hackett would just sign off on her retirement unless it came from Shepard herself. Both Chakwas and Miranda needed to have more concrete proof that Shepard could no longer perform her duties other than a heart condition. It may keep her off of the battle field for a while but that's what this shore leave was for and it certainly wouldn't hinder her tactical decision making ability if she was stuck in an office somewhere, promoted to Admiral. They all knew it would drive her insane but only for a short while. Then there was the fact that she was still a Spectre. She had her missions to carry out for the good of the galaxy, not only the Alliance Navy. And it would seem that Tevos and the remaining councilors had the same mind set as Hackett, give her some time and she'll be back helping again.

"Does Liara know about Shepard's condition?" Chakwas asks. Her only response was Miranda shaking her head quickly. "I think she deserves to know."

"Not yet, not until we can say for certain what the problem is and even then I want a cure before I say anything. Ori, not a word while your there. Liara will already be suspicious and want answers."

"Well I'll try not to say anything while I'm there but I'm not promising anything." Oriana says walking out to finish getting ready, obviously still upset at how the previous conversation had went. She could not figure out why her sister hadn't said anything to Liara or what Miranda's motives were with regards to Shepard being discharged. She understood what her sister had told her and how bad this new turn of events with regards to Shepard's health was but either way it didn't matter at the moment, Oriana's focus was getting the results needed and hold out hope that the Commader was in fact ok.

"Not that I mind Miranda but why is she so quick to defend Shepard?"Doctor Chakwas asks after the younger Lawson sister leaves. She had been observing the interaction between the two of them and realized one thing. Both Lawson sisters seemed to have developed a hero worship of the Commander along the way. She guessed Miranda's was from the countless hours spent with the first human Spectre. Miranda's relationship grew past a friendship along the way and they both considered each other family but with Oriana it seemed to be a little more.

"Well, there isn't any plans on taking out Liara if that's what you mean." Miranda says a little sarcastically. Seeing the serious look she was receiving, Lawson concedes to explain a little more. "She told me right after the beam went off that if it wasn't for Shepard neither of us would be in each others lives or even alive at all. Shepard helped us come together and I think Oriana wants to repay her somehow...she knows Kerry only from her being a Spectre or in the Alliance so Oriana believes if I take it away from her it will cause some cosmic shift...like there is some other family separated by a horrible parent and Shepard needs to help them as well."

"I can definitely see why she feels the way she does but I do wish one of us were going instead. I know she means well but I have a bad feeling her emotions will get in the way."

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"So let me get this straight, Aria T'Loak is actually my ..._matertera?" _Liara asks Aethyta, again. The Matriarch had hesitanly explained everything to Liara about the relationship, her, Benezia and Tevos all had. Seeing her father starting to drink more as the conversation went along she wished for a moment she wasn't pregnant so she could have some brandy, fearing this was going to be a very enlightening story to say the least.

Liara was not wrong to think it was going to be a long, stressful discussion but this was something she never expected to hear. Aethyta had told her how a few centuries ago the four of them were inseparable, all pushing for the best future they could. A future with the four of them all leading the way and in a way each of them had been groomed from a young age to be leaders of the Asari people.

Aria T'Loak, who was younger by a couple of centuries, was going down her own path. As time went on Benezia met Aethyta a high ranking, outspoken officer in the Asari military and Aria met Tevos who had her own aspirations to become an Asari leader.

Their relationships blossomed and eventually Tevos became the Asari councilor. It was thought by the group that since Aria had her shady side of her that it may have hurt Tevos's chances but they were able to keep their involvement quiet.

The same was true with Benezia and Aethyta's relationship. Liara's mother had become an influential member of the Asari heirarchy and the in the temple of Athame, while Aethyta continued to lead the Asari military.

Infiltration and espionage was her specialty. She garnered her own followers and between the four of them had solidified the future greatness of the Asari race or so they thought. Aethyta mentioned that she hadn't seen Aria in a century and had thought the relationship with the councilor was over but seeing the Queen of Omega join the rescue party made the Matriarch think the bond they had never really broke. It also brought up times when they all thought they'd be leaders for centuries but situations arose that lead to there falling out.

"Yes she is." Was all Aethyta said directly to her daughter. It was as if the elder Asari was looking through her while she was recounting her past. Parts of the story that left Liara with more questions than answers. Aethyta promised to continue on with it but the Matriarch had become upset so Liara didn't want to press the matter, she was just happy to think about something else for the time being.

"Miranda, it's good to hear from you again but...I wasn't expecting a reponse so soon. Do you have an update on Shepard's scan?" Liara asks hopefully. She had just disconnected her call with Aethyta and was feeling a little drained of her emotions. When her Omni flashed again indicating another call was coming through she was hoping for some good news but the look on Miaranda's face let the Asari know that would not be the case.

"Liara we need to talk."


	9. Bring Em back alive

**A/N; Once again I'd like to thank everyone for the support and Bioware owns all, I own nothing. And to my BETA you rule**

**All smiles over here...still smoke free and me and the wife are doing just great. The dogs and cats... not so much and the neighbors kid got-****'This is Sparta' kicked into the pool for being too loud...but anyway.**

**There is a part in here that I hinted at in 'Take me away' and again in the last chapter...didn't go into detail with it cause Chapter 8's, eight thousand plus words was enough I think but this chapter will start off with Liara and Aethyta's conversation...once again feedback is appreciated as it helps immensely... **

**Hope you all enjoy...**

* * *

**Audioslave**

**"Bring 'Em Back Alive"**

I was on my way... to the center of the sun,

When I lost my wings... and I fell into a crowd.

And they carried me... to a hole in the ground; And they buried me...where no one could see and no one would be around.

I am a virus... I live in silence.

I was on my way... to a city in the clouds. When I lost my mind...and I had to settle down.

Then I had a dream... of an island in the sea... where the lepers die; Where no one survives and no one can hear the cries.

I am a virus... I live in silence.

...

Just like heathens thinking on our feet we'll believe in God. With one step, two steps, three steps toward the graveyard;

On the high road to remembering, it seems that we forgot.

I am a virus... I live in silence.

* * *

"So that's how it all went down. The four of us were inseparable up until you were born." Aethyta finishes. She had been telling her daughter about her past friendships with Aria and Tevos. The toughest memory was the relationship between her and Benezia. They had been together for centuries and even though Aethyta was outspoken about the direction their people should be moving in during the meetings with the Matriarchs, Benezia hadn't minded. It was one of the reasons why she'd loved her bondmate.

The hardest part to hear had been when Aethyta revealed that Tevos and Aria had two children, who on two separate occasions had died. The four Asari had wanted offspring, lots of them, but after their first child was kidnapped from the hospital in Armali it had put all of those plans on hold. The queen of omega and the Asari councilor tried again years later but eventually Liselle was murdered.

Liara could tell her father was forcing herself to continue speaking about what must have been the hardest time of her life. The younger Asari was brought to tears when Aethyta revealed the details of the entire event. They all knew about Aria's life and at the time she had just began to take over Omega and none of them really had a problem with it other than the drug trafficking. What had caused the rift was her past-only at the time no one knew it. She was an assassin named Aleena and had been one of the best. Contracted by anyone who needed someone to disappear. This even included her being hired by the Asari government to 'take care of' a Volus businessman who had been extorting one of the Matriarch's Priestesses.

Liara was surprised to hear that her father had even provided an emergency extraction for Aria/ Aleena on one of her assignments when Aethyta was in charge of the commandos. After Aria became the ruler of Omega her past life caught up with her and one of the family members of her past targets found out who she was, who her friends were and had plotted their revenge. Aria and Tevos's first daughter ended up being the victim. They followed Benezia and Aethyta who had been visiting the happy parents after Tevos had given birth and targeted the child in order to flush out Aleena. The officers who were in charge wrote it up as someone trying to extort the newly elected Asari councilor, show her that she was not untouchable. It all fit but Aria knew better and yet said nothing. Even after the kidnappers were found and ultimately killed after a standoff with the police which had lead to their baby dying, the ruler of Omega kept quiet. After mourning the death of their daughter Aria ended up finding out who was responsible and made sure no one involved, survived. There had been attempts on each of their lives over the course of the next few years but each time it had been attributed to the political standings that Benezia and Tevos held. No one, including the authorities, thought for a minute that it had anything to do with Aria's past. Eventually Tevos became pregnant and after Liselle was born it was kept quiet. No one was any the wiser about her or her parents true identity and both couples were relieved. It wasn't until Liara was born nearly a century later that the truth came out. In the same hospital, on almost the exact same day Benezia walked in on another kidnapping attempt, but this time it was Liara they were after.

The Matriarch killed one and captured the other in a stasis field in order to interrogate them. There was no need for police involvement and Benezia made sure to make the Batarians death quick after he revealed who his employers were. Aethyta continued to tell Liara how Benezia went after the people responsible for trying to take her and found out the truth.

There was still a contract out on Aria and any and all of her friends and family were a target. Aria and Tevos had hid their relationship and the birth of their second child but the news of Matriarch Benezia's pregnancy had been spread across the galaxy and there were those in the information business that had gained the information on who Aria was and who she was associated with. Aria had been hiding out on her rock under the protection of her private army and it made it difficult for the original Shadow Broker to collect on the contract but he knew exactly who to target in order to draw T'Loak out.

The Shadow Broker's identity and involvement was kept a secret but the reasoning behind the attempted abduction was obtained by Benezia. The data pad contained everything The Shadow Broker had on Aria and even included a small portion of Aethyta's involvement with the former assassin. Benezia was devastated when she read about how her friend had basically caused the death of her newborn child and that she allowed it to nearly happen again because Aria was trying to protect herself was unforgivable. The fact that her bondmate had knowledge of all of this made it even worse.

After she was confronted by her lover Aethyta found it impossible to lie about any of it. After the death of Tevos and Aria's child Aethyta had looked into the investigation further and found out the truth. Instead of outing her friend she had told Aria to take care of it. Lying to Tevos seemed to be the best decision since she was still mourning but to lie to Benezia turned out to be a mistake that cost Aethyta everything. Tevos and Aria separated for a while and must have eventually gotten back together but Aethyta didn't know or care to know when, and Aethtya lost her one true love.

In the course of a month she had lost her _Mulier_ and both of her friends that were Liara's, _matertera_. Liara realized how hard it must have been for her father to see Aria again after so much time hating her-blaming her for causing her marriage to dissolve, for Liara and her mother to become estranged and then Benezia's death after she followed Saren. Aethyta said if she was still in her family's lives then she would have made damn sure things ended up differently. Liara countered by saying then she would have never met Shepard, which she knew would be the one and only good thing Aethyta would agree with that had happened. No matter what Liara was happy for the distraction, and even though it was hard for Aethyta to relive that part of her life, her daughter was hurting. Everything Aethyta had said shocked the young Maiden but in the end it didn't matter. She wasn't related by blood to Aria but she was family just the same. It upset Liara at how she could have any ties to the leader of Omega but she also knew that fact had no bearing on who she had become. The most important thing now, was how to help her love.

"Listen I have to go...get some sleep. We will finish this later." Aethyta says, slurring her words a little. She lost track of how many bottles she had gotten through in the course of the conversation but it was enough to make her feel light headed. Either way she wanted to stop talking about all of it.

"It's alright father, I have another call coming in. Goodbye."

Disconnecting the one call for another she takes a deep breath to calm her nerves, knowing who was on the other line.

"Miranda, it's good to hear from you again but...I wasn't expecting a response so soon. Do you have an update on Shepard's scan?" Liara asked hopefully.

"Liara, we need to talk." Miranda says when the Asari finishes her question. Lawson wanted to have something positive to tell her friend but there was nothing she could think of. Knowing how inquisitive Liara was, Miranda knew telling her about Oriana's arrival would only cause more concern but what could she say?

"Alright." She says slowly. "Is... is it about Shepard's scans or something else?" Liara hesitantly asks. She could see the conflict all over Miranda's expression and could only surmise their discussion wasn't going to be an easy one. "Miranda please... Just tell me what you know."

Sighing, Miranda looks to the Normandy's doctor for guidance. Chakwas smiles towards the ex-Cerberus operative and takes the lead with the discussion.

"We don't know anything definitive as of yet, Liara. So telling you what we think the problem might be won't do anyone any good, except to cause added stress. What we can tell you is a physical examination of the Commander must be preformed so Oriana will be heading to you in order for us to better understand what is happening..."

"Which would be what exactly?" Liara asks. She didn't necessarily want to know the answer but she needed to be told the truth for once, she deserved that much. It seemed as if everyone was tiptoeing around her for fear of causing her or the baby undo stress, when the opposite was true. Not knowing was causing her more sleepless nights than her war-infused nightmares. Seeing the human doctor begin to speak in protest the Asari cuts her off.

"Karin please, you've treated me like one of your own since I can remember...you've done so much for me. Shielded me from as much pain as I could endure when the original Normandy and Shepard was lost. You kept me updated on Kerry's well being during her hunt for the Collectors and guided me after the war ended but this is one time I don't want to be protected. And I do know there is more to her medical problems since Commander Williams has allowed someone to come here while she's dealing with the Quib Quib and Tali."

"She's dying."At that moment was when Miranda Lawson chose to speak. She had been internally debating if she should say anything to Liara or not, remembering the hospital, with Lieutenant Finch and Shepard. Shepard deserved to know the truth and Miranda, her friend, someone she regarded as a sister, someone who had dropped everything while going through all of her own personal struggles, and helped her.

Lawson felt she should have been the one to start the search for Liara and the Normandy, to make sure the two of them had the chance to be together in the end. Just like Shepard made sure countless others were able to live out their lives without fear of a Reaper invasion, and be together. Now Miranda is finding herself in the same situation where a friend is asking for the truth and Lawson didn't know what to do. Her main reason for her being hesitant at all was fear. A fear of failure and it especially scared Miranda that she may fail when it came to her two friends. They did everything they could to save trillions of lives, sacrificed everything and asked nothing in return. But here was Liara asking for the truth to be told and for Miranda to push all of her fear aside and be honest with her about her lover's condition, so she did.

"She's dying and I don't know what to do to save her."

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Tuchanka: the Krogan Home world.

A once vast and luscious planet filled with an enormous amount of history. As the two battle weary clansmen exit the Turian ship, Wrex looks on with pride at what they had accomplished. The genophage cured, their people no longer restricted from the fertility limitations the Salarian's had brought about. The females were finally free from the curse of losing most of the children to miscarriage and the depression it brought about. In time most females simply gave up and took a vow of celibacy so they wouldn't have to deal with the emotional turmoil of repeatedly losing their younglings. Now though, is a time when all Krogan-male _and _female-had been called upon to come home and bask in the fact that there were no longer restrictions.

They could breed without worry as they soaked up the cure from the shroud. A feeling of pride comes across Wrex as he remembers his friend Mordin. The one who sent him information on Eve along with the other fertile females the Salarian's were holding for research. The Salarian who made it a point to go against his people, reverse all of his work and give his life to make sure the Krogan race had a future. Paying the ultimate tribute anyone could do; sacrificing himself to save the many. It wasn't against a worthy opponent, not directly but he made it possible for the Krogan to show all their glory and help defeat the ultimate enemy. Wrex would always remember him fondly even if he was strange and probably should have been committed to an asylum. More than that though, Mordin Solus was a Krogan through and through and no one could say otherwise. With that said Wrex knew he needed to stand by the memory of Mordin and what the Salarian and Shepard had done for them.

The Krogan leader had choices to make, to fulfill all the breeding requests, which included many for Shepard, so they could increase the Krogan population but he knew his responsibility as a leader included him keeping some sort of control over the possibility of overpopulation. Not that he cared either way but knew the rest of the galaxy would react negatively. Now though, is a time to get back to what they were doing before they went to Earth to fight the Reapers...to stop the fighting among themselves. There were meetings with each of the clan leaders and the decision was made to begin rebuilding their planet, returning it to it's historic glory. It would take time, money and effort on their part and even require them to ask for help but it is a possibility that can be obtained.

Since the time between the war ending and the alien fleets being able to return to their respective home worlds Wrex had noticed a change. It was subtle at first but it began to grow quickly and that was the Krogan as a whole had earned everyone's respect. Not many knew the reasons behind the Tuchanka native's involvement in the war and most didn't care. All anyone knew was there was help in the form of an alien race thought to be only thugs, mercenaries and yet formidable allies. Few, if any, cared to know what it meant to be a true Krogan and regarded the race as only being out for money. In reality most if not all Krogan wanted to fight and they looked for the strongest opponents so getting paid was an added bonus.

A show of respect had been given to them-especially by the humans- and Wrex knew he needed to succumb to certain demands if the new respect was to stay. He was reluctant but his friendship with Shepard caused him to rethink certain things. Some of his people wanted a spot on the council which was fine but then there was a demand for them to be able to expand the population as much as they wanted. With this demand came another, like the taking of planets and even entire systems in order to sustain the growing numbers was discussed as well. Countless suggestions were made by clansmen who thought they were the reason the war was won. Some felt, as did Wrex, that they deserved the seat on the council, others made suggestions like being able to go to a water rich planet and stand in the streams to watch the local fish swim past and be left alone while they were doing it. Then there were the more idiotic claims that demanded Commander Shepard be forced into complying with the breeding requests she had gained since the last time she was on the Krogan planet. No matter what was asked from the other leaders, Wrex had an enormous task ahead of him and he also needed a second in command to take over as his people's leader. Someone willing stay on the same course as he was planning on going in order to not cause a war with the rest of the galaxy. He owed it to Shepard, she had helped him when no-one else would, when he wanted to recover his grandfather's armor and then she eventually convinced him to take his ideals and bring them back to his people to try and unite them.

After she died he had left to go back to Tuchanka and he became that leader Shepard told him he could become. She was the reason curing the genophage was even discussed and even though Shepard would be a worthy adversary, perhaps the toughest enemy he or any Krogan could have the privilege of fighting, she was his sister in arms and Wrex would always honor her. So the Krogan who would take over for him needed to have the same beliefs towards his squishy human friend as he did. Wrex, being the only one that could call her squishy, knew Grunt fought with her, killed many strong enemies, even fought next to her during his Krant, killing a Thresher Maw. So it was decided that someday he'd be that leader for his people.

As they both look around, Grunt can't help but snort in contempt. He said it the first time he came to the Krogan home world, it was a crap whole. Now was no different, in fact it was worse, if that was even possible. The nicest part of Tuchanka had been destroyed during the war and that was The Shroud. He was young but his actions on the battlefield made everyone stop and take notice so he hoped his next statement would not be taken as an insult.

"I hear Earth is available."

"Ugh...what would Shepard say if we were to leave our home world because it needed to be rebuilt?" Eve says to the younger Krogan.

"She'd probably head but me, call me an idiot and walk away but she'd always be my battlemaster." Grunt roars.

"Grrrr...We finally get a chance to increase our population and this is what we have to look forward to...a Krant full of imbeciles." Eve says walking away, shaking her head. She had met the two of them when they landed, happy to have Wrex back as a lot of the other clans began speaking of overthrowing the older Krogan. She was nervous when Wrex had contacted her to say they were going to be held up, they were needed to help the humans. She understood and even admired what he was doing so only hinted at what was going on, knowing that the more they helped the other races the more of a chance the Krogan had at getting a spot on the council. She knew Grunt was being considered to take over for Wrex so hearing his ideas as to where their future should be headed worried Eve even more.

The female Krogan had kept the name Eve in order to honor the fallen Salarian who helped them all get to where they were today. He had protected her when Cerberus attacked the lab where she was being held, had told her about his past and his desire to repent for the sins he had committed towards her people. She had seen the determination written on his face and had known that with the help of Shepard and her friends that the genophage would be cured. She had also seen the determination in the human Commander and she was eventually convinced that the war against the Reapers would be won and that the human be the one to carry them to victory.

She was happy to hear that the human had survived and hoped she and the Asari were recuperating in peace. She saw how the Thessian native looked at the human Spectre and it didn't take much to know that they more than just friends. With them both surviving and continuing their relationship, it gave the female Krogan hope for the future of every race. With as many lives that were lost during the war it would take generations for every race to rebuild their population and the strongest and brightest was needed. As far as the Human and Asari couple were concerned there was greatness in their genetics and they'd generate the perfect offspring.

Unfortunately for the female Krogan 'smarts' were not a trait the Krogan males were known for and her people's future was a dim as the dirt she was currently walking on. Eve knew that it wasn't likely that a Krogan scientist would be born soon but figured that the choice of male partners she and each of her sisters had were better than the alternative-dealing with the genophage.

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"Commander Williams, we are all growing extremely concerned while we wait. It has been more than an hour since our last vid call and everyone is asking why we haven't been briefed. Please tell me all the issues with the relay are fixed and that we can continue?" Admiral Raan says to a tired Ashley who was running on fumes, not having slept well the past few nights and the current stress she was under was causing her to become even more worn down. She was hoping to have had an answer for the Quarian Admiral but there wasnt enough time. She can only hope her response would buy them the time they need to get the answers they are looking for...was Tali and the small group of marines she sent over to her ship still alive?

"Admiral Raan, I apologize for the delay in returning the call but we have been extremely busy trying to get the relay repaired."

"Commander, why can't I get ahold of the Quib Quib?" Tali's aunt asks the visibly exhausted Williams. The human could hear the concern in her voice and figured she was at the very least a close friend. The internal struggle to try and delay this conversation was becoming too much. If one thing was for certain Commander Ashley Williams had never once lied to family, and Tali was as much a part of hers as her sisters were and figured she should give the Quarian Admiral the same respect. Ashley also knew that they could at least help in the recovery effort and try and find a reason as to why the Quarian ship broke apart in the first place. The biggest concern would be not to start a panic among the Human and Quarian passengers on the other waiting ships.

"Admiral can you got to a secure room for a moment I need to discuss something with you."

"Of course but..." The Quarian starts, her concern growing.

"Admiral, please?" Williams asks again with a pleading look. "I have to discuss something important."When Raan finally enters what looked to be her private quarters, Williams reluctantly informs the other Quarian Admiral about the situation with the Quib Quib.

Raan was upset to say the least with the news of her niece's possible passing but she was holding out hope that the human in front of her would find _something_. She understood the reasoning behind not informing the rest of the fleet for fear of a mass panic but was still a little annoyed at the entire situation.

"I'd be lying if I said that keeping this from me didn't aggravate me...but I do understand the need for discretion in this matter." The Admiral says solemnly. Having the face shield was as much of a blessing as it was a curse and in instances like this she could mourn the loss of her protegé, her friend, in peace while still facing someone.

She was the last of a family name that spanned back generations throughout Quarian history. Since before the Geth were even a thought, the surname Zorah was a significant name in the Quarian records and if Tali passed-the name Zorah would die with her.

This saddened the other Quarian Admiral to no end. To think that the names Zorah and Raan would not stand side by side was almost unbearable. The two families were synonymous with Quarian Admiralty and this was the last thing Raan thought would happen after the war, after so much life had already been lost. She was the daughter of an Admiral and was quickly being molded into leadership material from the start. Being younger than most when she left on her pilgrimage made it harder for her than all of her Quarian counterparts, but she made her family proud by fighting alongside a Spectre. No other Quarian had anywhere near that calibre of success on their pilgrimage and Tali had made the entire fleet proud. Now though, the young Quarian girl who had so much to look forward to in her young life was dying or dead out in deep space and nothing was being done.

"Commander I will be taking a shuttle through the relay but please begin the rescue immediately." Raan says, then turns to find her XO to inform him of the current situation, hoping he'd nod and not ask questions, time was at a premium.

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Dying. This was the only word the Asari focused on. Her lover was dying again and nothing could be done. How was this possible? Why was this happening? She could feel her emotions begin to boil. Wanting to punish the ones responsible for all of this, she begins to focus all of her anger at the two humans she is speaking too but quickly stops. Neither of them did anything to deserve the Asari's wrath. They had both done everything in their power to help so yelling at them would solve nothing.

Taking a deep calming breath she tries to focus on what could be causing this to happen to her lover. She needed to separate herself for the moment. Look at everything as scientifically as possible and not let her emotions get the best of her. Shepard deserved to have the very best care she could get but the separation would be difficult if not impossible.

"What exactly is wrong with her?"

"Liara I'm sorry I..." Miranda begins to say. She wanted to say something but saying Kerry was dying was obviously not the right thing, if the look doctor Chakwas was giving her was any indication. This was the exact reason why she chose to keep quiet at the hospital. She was never any good at being sympathetic, she never needed to be. Cerberus never required it from her and she was never taught empathy much less compassion.

"It's quite alright Miranda but if we are going to save my bondmate I need to...to..." The Asari tries to talk, but a single tear falls down her face, followed by more but these were tears of anger, feeling as if she was once again on the Crucible and Cerberus had her and Shepard, separating the two of them, using Liara as bait: but their captors were dead. Liara witnessed it first-hand. Even though Aethyta had stopped her from taking revenge on the two humans and Shepard was in need of assistance, she had made sure to watch what she could.

Even if her friends tried to shield her from everything that was happening, by standing in the way she could still see the panic on both of their faces. She could see the pleading looks, begging for their lives right before Aria and Wrex pulled the trigger-and as much as Liara wanted to be there causing them the pain her and Shepard had to endure-she knew the right place was being by Kerry's side.

This time is no different but the thought of having to save the woman she loved after everything that had happened to the both of them was almost too much, they just got each other back. Slamming her hands onto the desk in front of her the Shadow Broker begins to flare her Biotics.

"I'm not losing her again! She was fine two days ago!" She screams, causing both humans to jump a little. It begins to remind Chakwas of Liara's outburst on the Normandy when they received the news of the Commanders possible passing. This time though the human doctor was not in close proximity to the Asari and could do nothing if Liara were to hurt herself.

"Liara please calm down, if nothing else you must think of the baby. We only have assumptions as far as what we are dealing with-" The doctor says looking towards Miranda."-and we need the results from Oriana's exam before we move any further." The older human finishes, hoping she conveyed as much compassion towards the Asari as she could.

With all the years she had dealing with the stubborn commander she certainly had learned a few tricks when it came to emotional outbursts and it seemed to work as the Asari in front of her begins to relax a little more.

"Perhaps I can be of some assistance." EDI chimes in. The AI had been listening in to the conversation and was just finishing her examination of the Commanders medical scans. Most, if not all of her time and processing had been utilized to help scan for signs of life after the Quarian ship exploded but now, with the two crews going out to do a physical search, EDI was allowed look into Shepard's well being. After all...the human had become her friend.

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The view of the gas giant, Prospect can be seen from the small window of the Quarian escape pod. The lifeless rock that the emergency shuttle landed on was rich in minerals and heavy metal deposits. It was one of the initial areas used to gain resources by the people who had colonized Horizon. It is a moon so full of mineral deposits, scanning for life forms had always been more difficult but being a deserted moon, that information never concerned anyone until now.

It's a moon that is the final resting place for dozens of refugees who were trying to flee the Reapers. Ship debris and mining equipment are all that remains on the small moon now along with the escape pod. A pod in which only one soul out of a half a million people now lies. A soul who helped save the galaxy from the Reapers and had been given command of a ship for her efforts. A ship that had been destroyed, rebuilt and repurposed. A ship, that during only its second flight through a relay towards the Iera system and the planet Horizon, had its alarms go off for a core meltdown. A ship, whose Admiral had tasked herself with fixing the problem only to be pushed into an escape pod by a human marine in order to save the ranking officers life- knowing there was no hope. It was a ship that exploded due to its malfunction once it reached its destination, only having time to eject one person to safety. A person who had only been alive for a little more than two decades yet survived two separate ship disasters in a little over two years. A person who had woken up to blackness yet gained her bearings quickly when the realization struck that her ship was gone along with the entire crew-_her crew_. Even though she had been an Admiral for a little less than six months this was her first real assignment that she felt would solidify her career. Yes, her knowledge of the Geth had been a significant advantage during the war and her leadership during the final battle with the Reapers helped save millions of lives but she was still in the shadow of her father and Shepard. She had replaced Admiral Han'Gerrel and helped destroy numerous Reapers, using the calibrations Garrus had showed her and the tactic that was used on Ranoch, target the 'eye'.She had come into her own very quickly and became the leader her people needed and her Aunt Raan and sister, Commander Shepard knew she'd become. During the war all of her doubters and naysayers were proven wrong and everyone who backed her would continue on backing her.

Now though, with no one able to hear her, the only thing she can think of as she cries uncontrollably is how much she failed them all.


	10. Fix You

**A/N: Hope everyone had or is having a great summer break. For those of you going back to school I hope you at least learn one thing like I did the other day...**

**As we all know...#... equals... hashtag... but apparently... %... now equals... 'Fuckyer'...put them together, % # and you get fuckyer hashtag...learn something new everyday I guess but I can't keep up with all of it**

** Hope you all enjoy...and as always feedback is welcomed**

* * *

**%Coldplay**

**"Fix You"**

When you try your best, but you don't succeed

When you get what you want, but not what you need

When you feel so tired, but you can't sleep

Stuck in reverse

And the tears come streaming down your face

When you lose something you can't replace

When you love someone, but it goes to waste

Could it be worse?

Lights will guide you home And ignite your bones

And I will try to fix you

And high up above or down below

When you're too in love to let it go

But if you never try you'll never know

Just what you're worth

Lights will guide you home

And ignite your bones

And I will try to fix you

Tears stream down your face

When you lose something you cannot replace

Tears stream down your face

And I...

Tears stream down your face

I promise you I will learn from my mistakes

Tears stream down your face

And I...

Lights will guide you home

And ignite your bones

And I will try to fix you

* * *

__'Perhaps I can be of some assistance.'_ _EDI chimes in. The AI had been listening in on the conversation after finishing her examination of the Commanders medical scans. Most, if not all of her time and processing had been utilized to help scan for signs of life after the Quarian ship exploded but now, with the two crews going out to do a physical search, EDI was able to look into Shepard's well being. After all the human had become her friend.._. _

_'Miranda, I was wondering if you had heard of a project 'Kelly' during your time with Cerberus?'_

"I heard rumors about it but never thought it was allowed to proceed because of what it entailed...I honestly thought it was a myth." The former Cerberus operative says, a little relieved that she's no longer the main focus of the conversation for her lack of tact. She hadn't truly meant to overreact about Shepard's condition and she had been frantically thinking of something to say to her Asari friend to make up for it. Having nothing, Miranda became relieved when the ships AI spoke up.

_'Apparently the illusive man felt the same way and stopped all funding once he found out the true meaning of the project. It may have to do with the fact that this had happened around the same time as the Lazarus project. Either way his reasonings weren't based on morals but only because the test subject and the head of the project were related and it became a more personal quest than a Cerberus directive...The fact that he wasn't informed about what it entailed also helped in the decision to no to not allow it to proceed...looking back he may have been mistaken with his decision to stop the funding...' _The ships AI continues. She was about to go into more detail about the project when Liara stops her.

"EDI what exactly does this have to do with anything?" Liara asks a little harshly. She appreciated the fact that the ships AI wanted to help but this had nothing to do with the current conversation. Plus the specifics about what was wrong with her lover had yet to be answered.

_'I apologize Doctor T'Soni... Project 'Kelly' was something a Cerberus scientist, Doctor Susan Gallagher created. She had initially come up with a breakthrough in modern medicine and it was supposed to be a 'cure all' for any disease a human could contract...according to the files her assistants took over while she was on maternity leave but when she came back the main focus changed. It was discovered that her child died during birth from a chromosome abnormality called trisomy eighteen. Doctor Gallagher made it her life's goal to eradicate this and any other genetic defects from that point forward.'_

"Gallagher, but isn't that..?" Liara begins to ask.

_'Yes, she is the same woman, although I'm sure that is not her real name. She is the one responsible for the Commanders current medical condition.' _Seeing that this was an opportunity to continue the Normandy's AI informs the trio of what data she had been able to collect.

_'According to the remaining files, doctor Gallagher became pregnant again with two children at the same time; twins is the correct word I believe. Initial scans of the fetuses showed they were both healthy. However, after a blood test was done signs of the same genetic abnormality began to show."_

"I've heard of this disorder." Chakwas chimes in. "...but I thought it was no longer a problem. And with what I do remember about it there is a short life expectancy of every fetus it affects. She couldn't have had much time to come up with a cure for this." Chakwas had heard of this disorder but not since medical school and either way she was not an expert when it came to children. It still didn't explain how this would help Shepard but seemed to be a step in the right direction...EDI would not have suggested it if she did think it would work.

_'That is correct doctor Chakwas. The last reported incident of a fetus having this disorder was nearly a hundred years ago but for reasons unknown Gallagher's children were susceptible. And as far as life expectancy most children do not survive the gestation phase and those that do will likely not make it past the first few hours after their birth; there are reports of a small amount of children with this disorder living for years but with a lower quality of life. Doctor Gallagher's children were no exception.'_

"Goddess, I can not imagine a child having to go through that." Liara says quickly placing a protective hand on her stomach. To think of the life she had been carrying inside her not have a chance at a long healthy life was a horrible image but there were more questions that needed to be asked before the Asari began to feel better.

"Did it work...what she did? And would this help Shepard?" Liara was still unclear as to how any of this was supposed to help Kerry but EDI mentioned it for a reason.

_'The data I have collected on this project has not been fully attained and downloaded yet. Unfortunately since the funding was redacted I don't believe there is much more information than I've already found in the Cerberus databanks. With that being said I have compiled data to show that the doctor continued on her own with the experiment and eventually tried to save her remaining children. Unfortunately I do not have any information to the whereabouts of the living offspring...'_

"EDI!" Miranda nearly screams at the AI to get on with 'her' answer, desperately wishing there was a 'Yes','No' button.

_'Yes ...it would seem that the intended results the scientist wanted were met...and if Ms. Lawson is correct with her assumption, and Commander Shepard is in fact dying then __this procedure can help her.' _EDI answers almost apologetically.

"I understand all of this EDI but she isn't a child and this isn't a genetic defect or a disease she has...she's being poisoned. So how is this supposed to help?" Miranda's tone was a little harsh but she began to feel like they were wasting time.

_'You are correct Ms._ _Lawson, according to the information I have gathered this treatment was supposed to cure a human of any disease they may be suffering from. The initial focus of the project was just to eradicate diseases in humans from young children to adults. After Gallagher lost her first child she made the changes of the projects focus to include unborn children and birth defects and that changed the end result... With the exception of a longer life span it can keep any human from dying from any ailment, to include bullet wounds and certain injuries sustained in battle, allowing the subjects to heal rapidly...They were searching for a way to create the perfect soldier...so if the data I have collected is correct than this will help the Commander...From what I have found I believe she was after the results of Shepard's operations that you and Oriana conducted on the Commander to slow down the aging process of humans in order to perfect what she started. That is one of the reasons for Shepard's kidnapping._'

This was it; this was what Liara needed to hear. The fact that Shepard could be cured of her ailment and they could finally live their lives together as a family was what the Asari had been waiting patiently to hear and this would make that dream a reality. She became so caught up in what EDI had said that she nearly missed the conversation that had continued on without her.

"...the risks aren't worth it. Especially since we don't know the exact results of the tests or what the side-effects could be...Shepard's health is to fragile..."

"This...is not up for discussion!" Liara says, just daring either of them interrupt or contradict her. "EDI I need you to continue to do a complete search on this project and if you could please send all of your findings to my terminal."

'_As you wish doctor T'Soni.' _

"Liara, please listen to me." Chakwas begins in an almost motherly tone. "I understand you are upset, we all are. And we are looking for a sliver of hope that we can help her, but this may not be it."

"I do understand that Karin, but if I don't find as much information as possible...if I don't at least try to look into this for her...then I've already given up. And I won't be able to live with myself much less see our daughter's expression when she asks how her _A__tta_ died...knowing I didn't do all I could for her."

Her memories quickly turn to the destruction of the Normandy, the death of her lover, and how devastated she was, yet how determined she became to retrieve her lovers body after she was contacted by Miranda. Even though the initial introduction with Lawson was not a friendly one, the Asari could see it in how the human carried herself, that she did not allow failure to be an option.

Neither of them accepted failure then and now was no different. But seeing the doubtful look on both of the humans on the screen in front of her causes Liara to become concerned that she may be alone in finding the information she desired with this particular cure.

"I need the both of you to listen to me." Liara begins. "In the short amount of time we have known Shepard she has been the only one to never give up on any of us. So now I am asking you to give her the same in return. Miranda, you never gave up during the Lazarus project, nor did you when she needed her heart transplant...which I will be forever grateful. So please do not give up now."

The Asari wasn't one for inspirational talks- that was her lovers forte but this was for Shepard and they both needed to hear what the Asari had to say.

"And Karin, how many times did you, did we...almost lose her on the operating table? Yet you never gave up. I'm not asking for miracles, only help."

Receiving a nod and a smile from both of the human woman, Liara begins to go over all of the information EDI and Miranda had sent. It seemed endless but the problem and subsequent solution to what was happening to Shepard was buried amongst the data. They all knew they may have been jumping the gun with this, not knowing for sure if the Commander was indeed dying or if anything EDI had said would even help, but with the information collected so far, it all pointed in that direction. The last thing needed was Oriana's findings and after that they could proceed with a definitive goal in sight; save Shepard.

"I do understand you both being hesitant about this supposed treatment..."Liara begins. "but are you certain that she is in fact dying?" Receiving only a nod Liara continues. "And the purpose of Oriana coming here would be what exactly?"

"The recent scans we have gone over have shown a dramatic decrease in her immune system as well as each of her organs shutting down. The implants I installed are helping but not fast enough. Having the results of an actual physical examination of her may possibly help us narrow down what exactly is happening to her." Miranda explains, obviously calmer then she was before. She knew she had overreacted when she was talking to Liara but they were friends and she was upset. Personal feelings aside her and Chakwas were Shepard's doctors and needed to act as such. So going over each option was the next step until Oriana arrived and could send back her results.

"So if what you are saying is true and Shepard is... dying then don't we owe it too her to look into every option there is in order to help her?"

The next questions that would arise would be, was EDI correct? Even though the AI seemed confident and had not been wrong before, she was just turned back on and rebooted. Also there was a limited amount of data on the defunct Cerberus project, to include the results and whereabouts of the test subject. The child in question was important only as a curiosity and not for medical purposes since no one knew what to look for if they could run tests on the child to see if any of this was true. Even with that being said they needed a place to begin looking so the childs whereabouts became important.

The more Liara thought about it the more defeated she became at being able to find the child since according to EDIs findings Doctor Gallagher's quest to save her children started around the same time as the Lazarus project and the subjects weren't a thirty year old female like Shepard, they were infants. With one living long enough for Gallagher to be successful, how did the child survive the past few years and who, if anyone had been taking care of it, Liara wondered. Also, how did it all work and why would a 'machine' that was set up to help a child with a genetic defect help an adult that was being poisoned? EDI had already mentioned how it would work to Miranda but Liara had her doubts. And if it did help her what would be the side effects? Would she be the same person or would her previous worries that Cerberus had changed her to something else entirely become a reality?

The scariest thought that began to play over in the the Asari's mind was would it cause any harm to Kerry and was all of this just a temporary fix, prolonging the inevitable? If they retrieved all the information they could and did all that they could, only for her to die in the end with this 'cure' being the cause then what were they really doing? The Asari began to realize that all they'd be successful in is torturing the Commander.

Liara knew she had to be as impartial with this entire process as she could but knew it wouldn't be an easy task and her dark thoughts turn darker. She began to wonder if any of this was worth the pain she may be causing her lover. Was the reasoning behind all of this work to find a cure just Liara being selfish? She knew no one else would get this kind of attention and irregardless of her status as the savior of the galaxy did Shepard deserve it, did they?

Did they deserve to be together for as long as Miranda had given them? With the way their relationship had gone on so far, wasn't Shepard supposed to die saving the galaxy, not living centuries past her life expectancy because of who she was and who her friends were? And was Liara along with everyone else involved trying to fix someone that couldn't be repaired?

It was almost too much for the Asari to even think about. The fact that she herself could be the real reason for her beloveds suffering because Liara can't let go is nearly impossible for her to admit. Tears begin to stream down her face and on cue, doctor Chakwas tries to reign the Asari back in and not let her begin to give up.

"Liara, now I need you to listen to me. We do what we can for her and even though I can not tell you what will happen it will be enough; it will have to be. You asked us not to give up so we won't... With that said I have to ask everyone here; can we all be impartial... if the time comes and we have no recourse but to stop, can we? Will we be able to let go?"

X

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X

Searching on one of the moons of the planet Prospect, Garrus can only look out over the current landscape of another desolate area they had found themselves on and sigh a little. He had to remind himself that everything they had fought for would be worth it and that they'd eventually recover. To see everything they had fought so hard for begin to show signs of coming together, as the galaxy started to recover made him grateful to be alive but with months having passed since the war ended he hoped there'd be more.

There were still reports of suffering all over the galaxy and he knew it wasn't going to be an overnight fix but with all that was happening he began to wonder if they were quick enough. Did they build and fire the crucible fast enough, and if they did why was each race going through more horrors?

The Humans were losing their home planet and half a million of them had just died. Then it was feared by the Salarian scientists that Palavin may follow the same fate as Earth and need to be evacuated. Then the fact that the Asari were scattered everywhere and their leaders were still trying to deal with the fallout over losing Thessia. Not to mention there were those that continued to blame the Matriarchs and councilor Tevos for not accepting aid during the war.

This was true for the remaining councilors and with the exception of Hackett, they all required armed escorts each time they went somewhere. The reported problems didn't even include the rest of the non-council races and their own plights. But when Garrus stopped to actually think about what had happened he realized they did everything they could. He realizes he can not start to second guess any decision made. If he did he'd begin to feel guilty for each death every race suffered and end up driving himself insane. With that said he knew he needed to think about all the good to come out of all of this and focus on all the positive that was happening.

The Humans may have lost Earth but they were being given the chance to start over entirely. And the Turians were living in an extremely unstable environment yet the more help that began to arrive to aid the Turian home world the more hope they all had that the Eco system and in turn the planet could be saved. Then there was the fact that the Krogans and Quarians were being recognized for their help in the war and the possibility of a seat on the council was being discussed. The Quarians themselves were gaining their home world back and the development on Ranoch had begun. People were living and certain things were beginning to get better, or seem to. Before arriving on the Normandy the Turian Primarch had contacted the Vakarian siblings and informed them that the water and food sources had been made available across Palaven and surrounding Turian planets. It wasn't much but it was something and it gave a glimmer of hope to Garrus that most if not all of the remaining survivors of the war could in fact rebuild and continue on.

Unfortunately, not everyone was on board with the celebrations of life and just enjoying the fact that there were any survivors of this war at all. Solana had been informing her brother all about these _experts_ who had their own views of what should have happened during the war and how they had no problem voicing their opinions to anyone who would listen.

After the debacle with the Shepard interview on the Crucible where a firefight ensued, multiple people were killed and the savior of the galaxy nearly wiped out an entire race, the Galactic News Network had been leery of who they would interview. Still, they allowed these people to be heard since no one respectable wanted to be affiliated with the GNN.

These experts had their own views on what should have happened and it left the majority of the viewers shaking their heads wondering how these people talking survived at all. Even with the majority of the public watching, not actually listening to what these morons had to say it was still feared that there would be those that believed these experts and take what they were saying seriously.

The 'Shepard interview' was a testament to that fact. There were numerous protests being reported from every planet demanding the Commander come out of hiding and answer for her crimes. Fights ensued over the different opinions that were expressed by people who still believed what was said by Cerberus and blamed her for causing the Reapers to focus the majority of the attack on humans. The leaders of each race had feared this would be the case and they'd have problems with radicals delivering death threats to the galaxies savior when Shepard came back into the public eye. Hackett had made numerous appearances in front of the galactic press in order to tell everyone that the accusations that had been made were false, that none of these allegations had any merit to them. That everything that was said by doctor Schneider had been only the ramblings of a mad man. The doctors personnel file had even been disclosed to the public to prove that he had been treated for numerous mental disorders and had been relieved of his medical license. When the war was ongoing there was no real way to check on anyone's status as help was needed everywhere and he slipped through the cracks. There were no guarantees of this not happening again but the GNN would be under stricter guidelines as far as who they were allowed to have on. Even with that true, not all of their more recent guests had had an in depth back ground check.

It had been broadcasted by the Galactic News Network on numerous occasions how these 'experts' felt that even though the war was over, that the harvest would continue and life as everyone knew it would end. They pointed out that the amount of damage sustained to all planets in every part of the galaxy was too much. They said that all of the planets would follow the same fate as Earth even if it was at a slower rate. And that no matter what help was given there was no reversing the effects the Reapers had caused.

These same experts also pointed out that Shepard and everyone else should not have gotten involved and basically blamed the galaxies military's for causing mass genocide even after the Reapers were destroyed. It was said that, 'The Reapers harvest should have been allowed to go on uninterrupted, that it was the galaxies way to cleanse itself and we should have surrendered peacefully...that the Reapers would have been merciful and we could have served them... That it would have been a process of elimination and the strongest would have survived even if we would have been subjected to indoctrination and possibly repurposed, like the Protheans. But some of us would have been alive longer...'

They continued by saying that now the remaining population will all die a slower more painful death... food and water supplies will eventually run out or be too contaminated to consume because of the pollution from the decaying corpses among other things. Illnesses, would decimate the remaining races due to the lack of medical resources and new and old diseases would eventually surface with no cures available. And even if any of that could be avoided and a planetary system was found to sustain a substantial amount of the galaxies population it would eventually be overpopulated and the natural resources would be consumed before another planet could be found...

They went on to discuss the Commander and the miliary by saying that Shepard and all of our forces should have surrendered as soon as the Reapers arrived... That they understood it would have been a difficult decision for all of the proud militaries across the galaxy to give up but by fighting back they have now sealed our fate and we will all be subjected to die a slow painful death.

The experts even went as far as comparing what would have happened had the harvest been allowed to go on uninterrupted to a wild-fire in a forest...Saying- 'All of the creatures caught in the fire will die but the forest would ultimately grow back that much stronger...like it did after the Prothean cycle. They were the only race in power at the time of their cycle and even though they were annihilated and turned into slaves the galaxy was allowed to regrow stronger, with better technology and more races were involved in space travel.

These geniuses stated that their analogies were more complex than that but with the majority of the stronger and smarter among our races dying during the war they needed to dumb down their explanations a little. This caused a mass uproar and the GNN stopping the interview immediately but just like before with the Allers/ Shepard interview everyone had already heard all about it and it was being replayed at a constant.

Before they were taken off of the air they finished by saying- 'With our interference and subsequent survival the future races will never be allowed to grow like we did after the Protheans became extinct; that we were selfish for choosing to survive and now we would be the cause of stunting other races by not allowing them to find the relays and the technology on their own. We'd take away all the accomplishment a new alien race would gain by handing them the technology we already had, with the end result being disastrous. We would either force it upon them before they were ready or not allow them the same advancements as everyone else because we were using up all the resources that were available...and these new races would suffer because of it.

After a while of listening to his sister, Garrus finally has had enough and voices his own opinion. "Solana you have to be kidding me...there are people out there that are actually saying this? That we should have given up? This is insane!" Garrus can only shake his head at his sisters words as they walk across the surface of another moon. It seemed as if this search was endless but necessary and since the search for Tali had begun, Solana had been trying to keep Garrus focused. She didn't have much to say until she remembered seeing this on the Vid screen at a bar on Palaven. He wanted to know what he had missed since being stranded for the last few months and these experts discussing how everyone should have died was the only thing Garrus had not heard about.

"Yes actually there are many out there that believe this...that Shepard should not have gotten involved...that no one should have but like I said it's only an opinion. And there are some that agree with what they are saying. Maybe not in the beginning but the more you hear them speak the more scarred people become that they survived the war just to die later on under worse circumstances. I mean just look at what we are doing now...trying to figure out how a large chunk of the human population was just killed...this will just add fuel to the fire."

"Yes but these are radical views-" Garrus says, running another scan for life signs with his Omni tool. "and they are only succeeding in causing everyone to panic even more. It may be a slow process and the Humans may have lost Earth and those that died on the Quib Quib but we will rebuild and these experts can go screw!" Garrus says a little harsher than he intended to but he was angry and had every right to be pissed that anyone who had no knowledge of the sacrifices that had happened and continue on happening can say things like this. Everyone is entitled to their opinions but some people should really keep quiet.

"These are just the thoughts of certain people but many are beginning believing them...they have a large following now. I think even the Asari as a people believe as these experts do and with this disaster, many more all across the galaxy will begin to follow them as well." Solana says looking out over the barren rocky surface.

Stopping in his tracks Garrus lays a hand on his sisters arm to stop her progress. He knew the Asari had refused help during the war and Thessia had fallen due to that fact but Garrus was finding it impossible to believe that Liara's people would be repeating their mistakes of the past that nearly cost them everything. To not accept the rest of the galaxies aid during the greatest time of need is beyond the Turians's comprehension.

"What do you mean the Asari believe them...what have you heard?" Vakarian asks, worry laced throughout his voice.

"Just that after the war the galactic council had set up aid for all that needed it and the Asari were using it for a time but stopped asking for help. They have began to turn away all aid offered but what assistance has been given is small compared to other races and I can't imagine it being enough... it's like they are allowing what these experts are saying to happen...allowing the food and water shortages...the illness to take over and finish what the Reapers started. But... who knows maybe they weren't hit that hard during the war and don't want to take away from others that need the help more."

Garrus knew the last part of his sisters statement was not true after witnessing the fall of Thessia. He could not believe what he was hearing and his fathers words continue to replay over in his mind. The eldest Vakarian had constantly made certain that his offspring realized that learning from your mistakes was imperative. That repeating mistakes was worse than making one in the first place and if they didn't learn then they'd never would and this is exactly what the Asari are doing now.

He had a feeling that having multiple responsibilities would be a daunting task but everything had become a lot more difficult since finding out about the decisions the Asari have made. It didn't make any sense why they were going at it alone. Even though most populations were decimated, with the exception of the Batarians, all others had enough surviving members of their race and the opportunity to receive help to sustain life and eventually increase the dwindled numbers. So why Tevos and the remaining Asari leaders would run the risk of their people dying due to shortages in food, water and lack of medical supplies when these things were being offered, baffled the Turian to no end. Having this on his mind helped forget the current lack of progress they were having in trying to find Tali, but he could only focus on one task at a time, knowing this problem with the Asari would be there when he got back to Palaven.

He had many titles in the Turian government now but the one he was reluctant to obtain from the Primarch before they left was being tasked with becoming a liaison with all of the alien races since Victus had his own issues and not enough time to handle it all. Plus there was the fact that the Turian Councilor was basically in hiding due to the death threats he had received. Victus told Garrus that he was the best Turian for the job since he had already served under a human, worked hand in hand with nearly every other race and more importantly fought next to a Krogan without killing each other.

This new position however, brought about the headaches that the other races would surely bring to the table to include the Asari. He wished he had the time to talk to Tevos and put a foot up her ass so that her people did not repeat their history and go at the recovery process alone. His thoughts turn to Shepard and Liara and how needed they were even now. Liara may be pregnant, currently recovering with Shepard and both of them were hesitant on becoming a leader for their people but Garrus knew for certain that the future for the Asari as a people was in fact Liara and Shepard for the Humans. He knew the Commander wouldn't want anything to do with the councilor position but more importantly her Asari lover would be extremely overprotective due to the fact that there still were people of every race unhappy with what was said and shown on the Galactic News Network.

Most of the fallout from the Cerberus interview had started to subside with Admiral Hackett being able to curb most of the rumors about what the interview meant. He was able to explain away the majority of what had happened but there were still people who witnessed an Alliance soldier get shot by the savior of the galaxy and there were some who wanted Shepard to stand trial for what she had done. There were even those people who wanted to ask the Commander personally why she had almost obliterated the entire Krogan race and ask her if what had been said by the Cerberus doctor was true. Was she against humanity and if she was then why? But the real question that had continued to surface over the GNN, talked about in bars on each planet and even on her own ship was whether or not the Reapers targeted Human colonies first over other races because of Shepard's involvement. The leader of the human extremist group mentioned numerous times that if it wasn't for the Commanders involvement that Humans would not have been apart of the harvest. That the Reapers would have ignored us since we were new to using the relays and space flight... that she brought the attention onto us when she became a Spectre and destroyed Sovereign and eventually the Collectors.

Garrus and everyone involved knew these accusations were the farthest thing from the truth but when he actually stopped to think about it all, some of it made sense. If it wasn't for Shepard destroying Sovereign and stopping the initial Reaper invasion would the Reapers, lead by Harbinger, focus on the Humans as much as they did? Would the Collectors have focused solely on Human colonies in order to make a Human Reaper and why were they making a human Reaper in the first place? Humans weren't the dominant alien race of this cycle. And even if they were going to be targeted by the Reapers would they have attacked Earth first and the hardest without Shepard getting involved in delaying the war, and not backing down when being confronted directly?

Garrus can only shake his head in order to get rid of his current thoughts but begins to focus when he hears a blip on his Omni- tool.

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Would Liara be able to let go? Could she finally come to the realization that there was only so many times she could save Shepard before the inevitable happened. Once again she finds herself in another situation where her lovers life is in danger but this time there might not be a definitive cure to save her. Death itself could not stop the heroic savior of the galaxy before but now it seemed a serum made to indoctrinate her could possibly be her undoing. Sitting next to her lover while Shepard lies in the Med-Bed, Liara can only watch Kerry's chest rise and fall, giving the Asari the knowledge that her lover was still alive. It gave her some reprieve but she was furious that the now deceased Cerberus doctors were still involved in limiting their futures together. Holding Shepard's hand in her own, brining it to her mouth and kissing it, Liara tries to hold back the tears that are threatening to fall as she starts to think of the two Cerberus doctors and what they had done to her lover.

Liara had initially been irritated at Aethyta for stopping her from getting revenge on the Crucible but she eventually began to feel grateful for elder Asari stepping in and not allowing her to act on her feelings, allowing the rest of her friends to take of them but now she feels conflicted. Yes they deserved everything they received but Liara could feel the slight pang of guilt begin to build for even entertaining the notion of taking away a child's parent.

Shepard, Liara, Aethyta and even Miranda all had to deal with losing one, or both parents no matter the relationships they had and it took its toll on all of them. It defined who they were and even if Aethyta would never admit it, her parents and their death was a part of her and how she acted towards people; an almost non-caring façade. Miranda was the same way, not allowing anyone in to her life with the exception of her sister, Shepard and Liara. Even with that being said Lawson was still reluctant to allow anyone into her life to include her closest friends but she was never taught how to act any differently and witnessed first hand what how it was to be rejected by someone that was supposed to love you.

Liara and Shepard each had a loving family up until certain points in their lives. Both lost their families at different times and for different reasons but still became a big reason for who they are now, fighters. They all were, and once again they had to fight for something or someone and none of them would quit. Before Liara disconnected the call with her father the elder Asari assured her daughter as much as she could that everyone would do everything they could to help her bondmate. The Matriarch stated she'd get in touch with some of her Salarian contacts and if they were still alive, they could possibly find some way to help.

Liara couldn't describe how everything was playing out. Over the course of her bondmates life she had dropped everything to help everyone she ever met who needed it, even if she was involved in the middle of a mission. Shepard made sure everyone's private matters were taken care of above her own happiness but now Shepard was in need of help and her friends were possibly needed to come to her aid. And as her Asari lover runs her fingers through the woman that she loves blonde hair, Liara begins to realize that the biggest concern is whether or not there would be help available. With all the recovery efforts on each planet, the current situation with the humans and Quarians, and every other race suffering, there seemed to be an abundant amount of problems that may take precedence over Shepard's survival. Liara can only hope that the limited resources she currently has with the Shadow Broker network, her father and her friends onboard the Normandy will be enough.

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She couldn't remember what her parents had told her about what happens in the afterlife. She couldn't think of what the history of her people had said in the old Quarian texts, with regards to what she was supposed to see and hear. Try as she might she could not remember exactly what her education said about who they worshiped as a people... who their _biotáille_ was...What he or she was supposed to look and sound like?.. But she knew it wasn't supposed to be a Turian who reminded her of someone that looked an awful lot like her boyfriend Garrus Vakarian... _Boshtet is even going to be a pain in my ass in the afterlife..._

The more she thought about it the more the fog began to clear and her mind started to focus. She wasn't dead, maybe a little disoriented and suffering from hypoxia but alive... and apparently laying on the ground being looked down upon with concern by multiple people of all races. And one that even oddly looks like a female Turian..._Didn't realize they had one...thought Garrus would just squat and plop, out came an egg..._

She would have laughed if she didn't feel so awful...it felt like she had been riding in the Mako with Shepard again and the Commander chose to drive on a flat surface for a second...then that led to a cliff... and a ninety degree drop and then they were somehow upside down... _Now I may vomit._

"Thank the spirits" She hears him say as she tries to remember what exactly happened to her.

Focusing was next to impossible...head throbbing...chest tight... breathing shallow. A pulse is barely there but she's alive and that's all that could have been hoped for.

They had been searching for hours on any and all moons and planets the scanners found to have any kind of wreckage or signs of life. Most of the ships or escape pods that were found had been leftover from the war. Reminders of what they had all been through only a short time ago but this one desolate rock seemed to have made it possible for this lone soul out of the many to be rescued.


	11. Human

**A/N: Bioware owns all. I'm just having a little fun**

* * *

**"Human"**

I, can hold my breath

I, can bite my tongue

I can stay awake for days If that's what you want... Be your number one

I, can fake a smile

I, can force a laugh

I can dance and play the part If that's what you ask

Give you all I am

I can do it, I can do it, I can do it

But I'm only human. And I bleed when I fall down. I'm only human. And I crash and I break down

Your words in my head, knives in my heart You build me up and then I fall apart 'Cause I'm only human~

I can turn it on

Be a good machine

I can hold the weight of worlds If that's what you need

Be your everything

I can do it, I can do it, I'll get through it

But I'm only human. And I bleed when I fall down. I'm only human. And I crash and I break down. Your words in my head, knives in my heart.

You build me up and then I fall apart 'Cause I'm only human~

I'm only human I'm only human

Just a little human

I can take so much

'Til I've had enough

'Cause I'm only human ...And I bleed when I fall down I'm only human And I crash and I break down Your words in my head, knives in my heart

You build me up and then I fall apart

'Cause I'm only human

* * *

"Oriana, it's good to finally meet you." Liara says with a smile as she opens the door to their prefab home. The Asari had been anxiously awaiting Oriana's arrival even though it had only been a twelve-hour shuttle ride. Even with the short amount of time between disconnecting the call and Oriana arriving Liara became impatient as soon as she found out the young human was on her way during her vid chat with Karin Chakwas and Miranda Lawson.

It was hard to hear the two humans speak about Shepard's deteriorating health and lack of a cure. But the Asari was more worried about the lack of assistance she was going to receive. Some of her worries on the matter were satisfied when EDI offered any help the AI could provide but Liara could only hope it was enough. It would have to be with the different occurrences that seem to be popping up with each passing moment but with Liara's network and now having Oriana to assist as well, her nerves begin to subside.

"Doctor T'Soni, it's an honor. My sister has spoken very highly of you and Shepard over the past few months and I'm just happy you two are finally able..." Realizing she was about to say something that might upset the Asari she simply smiles and motions for Liara to lead the way. "it's good to finally meet you." She finishes, so not to seem rude.

As they both walk through the prefab dwelling Oriana couldn't help but steal a few glances around the savior of the galaxies home. It was small, nothing like she would've imagined. There weren't anything on the walls or anywhere else to indicate anyone was even living there, and other than a few small adornments, namely a picture of the two smiling at each other sitting on the table in the living room, there was nothing in the home. It only had the normal furniture you'd find in a prefab with the exception of the sealed medical bed the Commander was lying in. Minus one room that had a secure entrance to it and her patient, everything about the home was just...normal.

Oriana had figured they would have lived in a secure compound that housed an entire platoon of marines for security, or quite possibly an entire squad of Asari commandos but this was not the case. It seems the simple life was wanted by the both of them and the more she thought about it the more it made sense. With everything that had happened over the course of the past few years it wasn't surprising they both wanted seclusion and to be left alone for the time being anyway.

She had been a little nervous when she first left the Normandy especially since her sister wasn't helping. She had thought Miranda was being paranoid when she told her she was leaving with an escort. The more Oriana thought about it the more she realized the security precautions were not just for her. It wouldn't take much for their location to get out and their secluded planet to become a mad house of hero worshipers and press. Smiling a little as her sisters words echo in her ear that she should regard the two as who they are; an Asari doctor/ archeologist and a human N7 alliance soldier/ Spectre, not living legends.

She had heard what Miranda had said to Chakwas while leaving her sisters office. That Oriana was upset about Miranda's recommendation to medically discharge Shepard because she felt the Commander needed to continue with her military and Spectre duties so she could help others, just like she helped her and her sister. It was true for the most part but the more she thought about it the more she realizes how unfair of an expectation it is to place on one person. Shepard had done remarkable things over the course of her lifetime and if everything went well she'd have plenty more opportunities to save others across the galaxy. But how much responsibility can Oriana and the galaxy place on the shoulders of one human that has already been expected to perform miracles? Maybe this is why Miranda was trying to force the issue of Shepard leaving the military life all together.

It was too much for any one sole to be plagued with the title they had given her. Looking at the Asari in front of her she can only see one thing that is wanted besides her lover awake and that is solitude and a sense of normalcy. Maybe not forever but at least for the time being, Liara seemed content with being alone but only time would tell; they both needed to recuperate and at the very least be allowed to have their child without the galaxy interrupting them. Everyone deserved a break but everyone who was acquainted with Shepard also knew that if the Commander was up and able, she'd be helping.

Having to shake her current thoughts from her mind so she can get back to the task at hand, Oriana can only smile and roll her eyes a little. What would Miranda and even her parents say about her current thoughts? Her parents would say how proud they were but she was still their little girl and not to do anything that could get her hurt. And Miranda would tell her to not embarrass her; to stop acting like a school girl with a crush. She hoped one day that her family would soon take her seriously and for the most part they did if this mission was any indication, but she still felt like a child in everyone's eyes.

She may have been young and not have her medical degree yet, but she did everything to the best of her ability and this was no different. She was tasked with this one objective and she would not fail. Oriana also knew she had to be as impartial as she could be in this instance. Her sister was too close to all of this and had reminded her numerous times to please apologize; that her outburst about the Commander's condition to Liara was stress related but Oriana could tell it wasn't necessary. Liara just wanted her bondmate awake and healthy, so Oriana pushes everything else out of her mind and focuses on her patient.

Reaching the side of the sealed medical bed Oriana begins her examination."Have you noticed any changes on the beds monitors since the Commander became unconscious?" When the Asari shakes her head no, she continues. "Good...That's a good sign...so I'll just be a moment and I should have the results shortly."

When a hand touches her own she pauses and looks to see Liara smiling at her. "Thank you."

Not knowing exactly what to say until she sees the Asari's expression turn somber, Oriana says the first thing that comes to her. "Hey, it's alright she'll get all the help we can give her. She's a fighter and will get through this."

"It's not that." Liara says, with a slight nod of her head. "I know you all are here for us and she will fight to the end to survive this but...I just wish I knew if I was doing the right thing. I never had to worry about anyone else's well-being before and now I am responsible for two lives...I had been alone for the last forty years, either on my digs or doing research by myself. I've never had to take responsibility for anyone else before...I guess I'm just nervous with the baby and all and...I'm sorry." She blushes a little, realizing she had been talking to Oriana as if she was a life long friend. "Listen to me opening up like this to someone I barely know. I guess my social interactions still aren't the greatest." The Asari embarrassingly admits. "I must feel more comfortable talking with you because you remind me of your sister."

"I'm not sure if I should be insulted with that last remark." Oriana says succeeding in lightening the Asari's mood. "But it's quite alright I assure you."

She wasn't sure if she should continue on with the conversation but with the seclusion the Asari had found herself in and the one person she wanted to talk to being unconscious, the younger human figures she needs someone to listen to her. "If you don't mind me asking...what are your concerns with regards to Shepard?.. I mean other than the obvious."

Taking a deep breath Liara tells the human all about the fears she has been having over every decision she's had to make since before being reunited with her lover. As Oriana unpacks and starts her scan, Liara continues to go over all of her fears, including the conversations she had with Miranda and Doctor Chakwas on whether or not she was making the correct choice and moving to a secluded area. And if she had chosen to stay in the public eye and allow Shepard to be treated at an actual hospital then would any of this be happening? And lastly, should she be pushing for this cure with all the uncertainty surrounding the Cerberus project...was she just being selfish?

After a moment of going over the blood results and scans she had just taken, Oriana looks up and smiles. "Do you love her?"

"Of course I do." Liara answers immediately.

"Then it is all worth it...the other stuff can be worked out later. Part of being in love with someone is being selfish. You want to spend as much time with them as possible and when you're not by each other's side then you feel like you're half of the person you used to be... I may be young doctor T'Soni but seeing my parents grow old together, having the relationship they have...well I guess it gave me a lot of insight on how relationships should be. Granted not all are like theirs, but from what I've heard from the two blabber mouths, Chakwas and Miranda, death didn't keep you apart so something like this won't either."

"I assure you, everything you have done and continue to do will be alright." Oriana continues on. "You have her best interest at heart when your making these decisions so it does not matter if you have the experience or not, you're doing the right thing. Everything you're doing is all on instinct... It'll be the same when you have your baby... Do you think saving the galaxy or being an archeologist or a Spectre will help you learn how to change a diaper in the middle of the night? You do what you can with the knowledge you have at the time...and if its not right, you learn from it and move on...Trust me, if you two love each other as much as I think you do then no matter what decision you've made or will make in the future it won't matter cause she won't complain about anything... and if she does give you crap send her to me and Chakwas and we will straighten her out... She's definitely like Miranda, the pain in the ass." Oriana finishes with a smile. The mood in the room seems to lighten finally and Liara had obviously relaxed after hearing the young humans words.

"Yes Miranda and Shepard have been known to be quite stubborn. Karin seems to be the only one able to deal with it but she has learned how to cope with it from the best." Liara says laughing a little. She appreciated the younger humans words even if she was a bit long winded. She didn't want to ruin the mood she currently found herself in but the question needed to be asked.

"Did you find out anything that may help us?"

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"Tali you must calm down!" Chakwas yells at the thrashing Quarian. It is taking every bit of strength that the six people, including Garrus Vakarian and Ashley Williams has in order to hold her still enough to get the sedative administered. This had been the second time since being back onboard the Normandy that Tali had to be restrained and Garrus could only wonder what happened on the Quib Quib to make his lover act like this.

They had been searching for hours through the wreckage and had nearly given up but Admiral Raan had made the suggestion to expand their search to the moons around each planet in the system. That the escape pod may have gotten trapped in the gravitational pull and be sitting among other debris left over from the war.

After landing on the first moon they came to, Garrus received an alert on his Omni tool informing him of another piece of wreckage that had been sending off a signal of sorts. It was larger than most of the other pieces that were around and they were able to follow the signal from the beacon and eventually find the escape pod that Tali was in. Being in desperate need of medical attention but alive just the same, she was immediately transported back onto the Normandy. Once in the Med bay Chakwas was able to treat her for minor injuries, seal her suit and stabilize her vitals. Everything had been calm up until Tali woke up a few hours later.

She began to scream at them all, saying she should have died with the rest of her crew and that it was her fault she couldn't save anyone. She had appeared to calm down after a moment when Garrus spoke to her but as soon as Ashley walked into the med bay to check on her friend the Quarian began to cry uncontrollably. She began to yell at everyone again, calling them all Boshtets, that she should been allowed to go down with her ship and she'd never get the image out of her mind of Chief Harris's face when he pushed her into an escape pod. That he died saving her life and the young Quarian Admiral did not want to live with any of it.

For a moment everyone who had been on the SR-1 was brought back to the exact time when the Collectors attacked and their beloved Commander was killed. The screams of anguish from Liara after they had reached the last escape pod that only held Joker. The look of absolute disbelief on the Normandy pilots face and the months of therapy he had to go through, the images he saw in his sleep of the Commander being sucked out into space as the Collector beam ripped through the hull of his ship. How he could barely look at anyone from the crew at her funeral, especially Liara, even though they all tried to console him.

Even after Cerberus brought her back it still took a long time for Jeff to get over what happened that day. Blaming himself for all of the deaths and he still doesn't talk about it much and there were only a handful of people lost that day. Garrus knew that Tali would have a harder time dealing with this. The casualty rate of the Quib Quib disaster was the same as the initial few moments of the Reaper war. This was something that would haunt the young Quarian for a long time and Garrus can only pray that she could recover; would allow herself to recover.

Vakarian knew this was going to be devastating blow to the stability of the galaxy and how hard it would be to recover from once word got out about this tragedy. It was already feared that the entire Human race may not be able to recover and withdrawal from all galactic affairs. That they would refuse help and shut out the rest of the galaxy for fear of what plight may affect them next. That they were better off disconnecting themselves from the rest of the galaxy and go back to being self sufficient, just like they were before they found the relays. It had already been talked about by other scientists and a few Human leaders, some of the same people who agreed that Shepard should have allowed the harvest to happen. They each went onto the Galactic News Network and stated that now that the Reaper war is over we should sever all alliances with each race and go back to being cut off from the galaxy around them. Become oblivious to the galaxy's problems, siting that Humans nearly became extinct because of our involvement in galactic affairs, we can not afford to continue on trying to be involved in anything outside of our own problems. Stop assisting other races and only focus on our own needs.

Everyone standing in the med- bay knew this would be a devastating blow to the Humans once it was made public, but especially to Tali and the Quarian people. It was realized that this incident would only give more of a backing to the argument that humans should cut everyone else out and quite possibly want the loan survivor and captain of the Quib Quib tragedy be brought to trial. But at this moment they can only focus on helping their friends, to include a grieving Ashley Williams.

Initially stunned by what Tali had said, Williams only has a moment to react before Tali begins to try and push her way past everyone until Chakwas is finally able to sedate her. After a moment Tali begins to relax but not before apologizing to the Normandy's commanding officer. Williams didn't know what came over her but holding onto her Quarian friend and hearing her apologize for her lovers death as well as the rest of the Marines under her command, she soon was able to process what had happened and something finally broke and she lost all of her composure. Whether it was the fact that Tali survived, stress from the entire situation, or the fact that she had let herself open up to someone again only for them to die just like Vega, it was too much for the new Spectre to handle.

Hearing the cries of anguish from the ships commander the Normandy's doctor gently leads Ashley to the back of the med bay and administers a low dosed sedative so that she could get some much needed sleep. Walking back through her office she passes by everyone currently standing there staring at her with worried expressions, including Admiral Raan.

The Quarian Admiral had made it through the relay successfully and had docked with the Normandy while the search party was out looking through the wreckage. She had been in contact with the leader of both parties since Williams had separated them, with her and Garrus leading their own party; telling them what they should be looking for. Without Raan's assistance Tali may not have been found as quickly and could have possibly died from the lack of oxygen and tears in her enviro-suit. Now though the elder Quarian can only stand and watch helpless as her niece falls apart.

Chakwas can only offer a forced smile to them all before exiting her office, calling upon the ships AI while she enters the ships elevator.

"EDI, please inform Lieutenant Moreau that he is the acting CO and get me in contact with Admiral Hackett." Not waiting for a response she enters the lift and heads for the war room so she could talk to the Alliance Navy leader. Something needed to happen especially after seeing two more people she had come to care about over the course of the years, fall apart due to this war and its aftermath. The current and future condition of the crew along with the safety of the remaining Humans on the other ships still waiting to come through the relay left her with no choice.

"Doctor Chakwas, what do I owe the honor." Hackett smiles at his long time friend, relieved he isn't on some diplomatic vid call. Forced to listen to their ramblings and having to deal with their political requests. He'd grown tired of the political aspect of his new position and was hoping a replacement would be found soon but it hadn't been decided who would fill the position. Either way he was happy to hear from his friend, for the moment.

"I must apologize in advance Steven but this is important so if you could please spare with the pleasantries... I have an entire ship of Marines that are on the verge of having a psychotic break and if they are not given leave, care and proper rest I will be forced to medically disqualify them from active duty. I don't want to, and I know what's going on with Earth but my hand has been forced and I have the authority to do so...I've already had to sedate Commander Williams and I'm sure I'll have to do the same to part of the crew once it is known that their fellow Marines died on the Quib Quib...And before you say anything I do understand that the Alliance military is filled with some of the strongest Marines to drudge through the mud but there is a point that every person reaches and they no longer can perform and they fall apart...I think now is that time...They have each had to endure constant horrors and continue on reliving them even with the war being over. I discussed this with you in my last message, that help will be needed whether it's asked for or not...I don't think we have a choice anymore."

The current Human Councilor stood silently contemplating what had just been said to him. He made sure he looked at all the reports that crossed his desk from each medical officer attached to every Alliance ship or platoon of ground troops. After the war ended and the recovery effort began he knew he needed to see to it personally that the well-being of the remaining troops was a top priority and each report he looked at had detailed lists that dealt with the current moral, physical and mental health of his troops on a daily basis, along with current supply shortages. He knew the signs and what to look for when a soldier was suffering but hoped the limited man power of the Alliance could hold on for a little longer with the amount of work that needed to be done. Apparently losing an entire ship of a half a million people, some of them fellow Marines including his former assistant and friend in Chief Harris, could possibly be the last straw and as much as he did not want to have this conversation, it is one that was inevitable.

"I understand doctor... Anything you need will be authorized within reason." Sighing a little at what he knew the answer might be he asks. "Karin, is the situation on the Normandy really that bad?"

"Not as bad as it could be." Chakwas begins. "But all the signs are there... I've had more soldiers in my med bay in the last couple of days looking for sleep or anti anxiety medication as well as treating them for injuries caused by accidents, than I've ever had, and I've treated Shepard! I can only do so much Admiral and the meds will only work for so long...I think that these marines have been pushed to their breaking points. They just got back from rescuing Tali and the amount of body's and what was left..." Having to pause for a moment, not knowing how any of the soldiers who left to go out for the search could not have an issue with what they had to have seen. The explosion may have been massive and the debris field had taken up nearly the entire system but the Normandy doctor had seen crash sites before and knew what it was like to be a first responder to a disaster...disturbing was an understatement.

Rubbing her face in frustration she looks back towards the screen and continues her rant.

"Not everyone is Shepard, Admiral, we all can't be given impossible tasks and expect to do them at a moments notice, then move on to another one after its done. We are not all robots!"

The anger in the doctors voice was clear and for as long as Hackett had known her, she'd never spoken to him this way. He could see it in her eyes and facial features that this war had aged the Normandy's doctor. He recognized it as soon as he saw her on the vid comm. The first words out of her mouth weren't characteristic of how the elder woman carried herself and this latest outburst was just another sign that the doctor was at the end of her emotional rope. He could only think back to the war and the exhaustion he felt and how draining the war had become.

He saw it in Shepard and Anderson, how much they had been pushed, as well as every other soldier he had the privilege to meet but they were still willing to go that much further to see it through to the end, and they did. He was honored to be able to introduce himself to each soldier along the way, knowing that each one was possibly laying their life down in order to save the many; it made him proud.

The Admiral knew that the fighting was just the beginning and if they survived the war then a long hard road to recovery was still ahead of them and the possibility of pushing them all too much was high. Apparently now was that time and the normally hard-shelled Chakwas was among the ones to begin show signs that the stress from the war was catching up to her.

It was only a matter of time until the doctor finally reached her breaking point. Hackett had seen it and made it a point to talk to her after they came back from the Omega four relay and their fight against the Collectors. Shepard had mentioned in her report that the crew had been abducted while she was on a mission and Chakwas was among those that were taken. The first human Spectre made it a point to put into the report that she felt Chakwas would need some much needed 'forced R and R' after everything was done. Hackett had mentioned what Shepard had suggested and the doctor agreed to taking the leave but it only lasted a few days.

The Normandy's doctor had come back to duty early saying she was going stir crazy with boredom but at the time her ship had been dry docked and she had been forced to move to the Citadel, serving at Huerta. The short break seemed to work but after only six months the Reapers attacked and the war to end all wars began.

"Admiral I apologize...that was out of line and none of this is your doing. Dammit, this is the second time I have had to call my professionalism into question." Chakwas begins to explain her outburst, referring to how badly she handled everything with Shepard and what was going on with the Commander. "I can't lose her again Steven. Between her and Liara they are the closest thing I will ever have to my own children." As she tries to swallow back the tears that are threatening to fall the doctor hears her long time friend reassure her.

"Karin its alright...I have faith in you that you will find a cure for Shepard." Hoping his friend believes his words he continues. " Look, I know all of this has been a lot for everyone to handle...we all need a break. It feels like we jumped from one war to another, except now where not shooting at an enemy but we're still fighting for our lives. I wish there was something else but with Earth's atmosphere deteriorating we are forced to continue on with this mission of relocating the remaining Human population. Even if it were possible to turn around the remaining Quarian ships we would not be as successful in obtaining the amount of people we were able to get off of Earth. Once someone finds out about the Quib Quib and goes public, no one will trust getting onto a Quarian ship...so this has to continue. The one thing I can do is make Horizon a mandatory area for shore leave after this is complete...for everyone. It's the best I can offer."

X

X

X

X

"Tevos we need to talk!" Aethyta nearly yells, walking past the Councilors assistant, ignoring the Maiden telling her she couldn't go in the office...that the Councilor was on a vid chat.

"Matriarch Aethyta, what can I do for you?" Tevos calmly says. She had been friends with the elder Asari for years and knew how brash she was. She didn't mind the intrusion into her office in the least but knew the other Asari she was on a vid call with would be less than amused at the interruption. Aria always wanted their conversations to be private for obvious reasons and she normally disconnected immediately if someone tried to come in but she currently didn't have enough time to do so.

Tevos was happy that the rift between Aethyta, Benezia and Aria didn't hurt her and Aethyta's relationship much but seeing the look on the elder Asari's face of pure anger now starts to bring that statement into question. At least they could be in the same room together and act as civil as possible. It had been hard for both of the Asari initially to work together with the memories it brought about but both knew that neither one was really responsible for the past. Before Aethyta can continue, Aria speaks up.

"Ah Aethyta, Athame must be looking down upon me... This is twice in less than a month I've had the privilege of seeing you. And to be working with my bondmate...oh how blessed I feel." Sarcasm lacing the queen of omegas words. She had planned on disconnecting when the unknown Asari came barging into her lovers office until she heard the voice of her former friend. She initially became amused at how aggravated her old friend seemed to be and was hoping for a show.

"Aria, blow me." Aethyta retorts, then turning her attention to the councilor who is trying in vain to keep a smile from forming. "You mind telling me why I'm finding out after the fact that the shipment of solar power converters and water treatment systems that the Alliance was supposed to deliver got canceled?"

Before the question could be answered by the Councilor, Aria interrupts again and quickly tries to end her call.

"Well, I know when I'm being ignored and bored...so ladies I must take my leave... I have a meeting soon and..."

"You disconnect that call and I'll come to Omega and break your one rule. I'm not done with you yet."

"Oh, now this is exciting...threats, drama and intrigue. My three favorite things behind murder, money and sex. Get on with it then you old crone."

"Again, blow me!" Aethyta stares daggers at T'Loak. Turning her attention back to Tevos she continues. "I'm waiting councilor!"

Not wanting to have this discussion with Aethyta mainly due to the fact that the shipment and the reasons behind its cancellation had nothing to do with the highly agitated Matriarch. Still, though there was a mutual respect and the councilor figures Aethyta would find out an answer eventually.

"Aethyta, while I appreciate your concern, this matter is not apart of your job description. I have made the decision and the Matriarchs agree with me. We have the opportunity to be as self-sufficient as we can be. Other races are hurting just as much as we are if not more and this is a time when we should rise up and rebuild Thessia on our own. To show the other races that we are still as dominant as we once were and allow the other less fortunate to use the resources instead of... "

"It's happening again isn't it? You assholes are worried about our secrets getting out and your not going to accept the help the humans are offering!" She pauses for a moment in order to try and relax to no avail, she takes a deep breath and continues. "Do I have to remind you what happened the last time you morons did this!" Aethyta was beyond pissed at this point. Not only did she have to look at Aria but the Asari leaders were apparently repeating the mistakes of the war.

"It has nothing to do with what you are saying. We have other avenues we are looking into with regards to the assistance we are accepting."

"What does that even mean?" The matriarch asks completely dumbfounded. "Why would we look elsewhere when help is..." As realization struck the anger Aethyta continues to feel grows that much more and it takes all of her restraint to not flip over the desk. Looking at both Asari quickly her emotions erupt and she can feel a blood rage coming to the surface.

"That's what this is... isn't it?" She asks in disbelief, voice getting louder with each word. "This isn't a private call at all, is it?" Receiving no answer she screams out her next words. "Do not fucking tell me you two are having secret back door deals so Aria can make money and Tevos, you can what exactly!? Save face with those old bitches on the hill that managed to survive this goddess forsaken war? So when the time comes you can continue to hold your spot on the council? Goddess, why the fuck did Shepard save you?"

"Calm down Aethyta!" Aria yells back. "Why are you getting so mad at this when for centuries you were the one to suggest we pull away and be self-sufficient and build our own Mass Relays every time the matriarchs had a meeting? Everything isn't black and white like you see it...the humans are being compensated so don't get your panties in a twist. The remaining matriarch leaders are still stuck in the old ways just like you were and will never allow our people to be helped by outside sources, not officially... We have been the dominant race for centuries, so allowing a new race like the humans to aid us will be considered beneath us. You know this... This will give us the opportunity to help ourselves and then be there to assist other races... And as far as where the money goes, what do you care?"

"I was wrong, Aria. I was obviously wrong to think that we could survive without assistance." Aethyta says as she begins to think back to how upset she used to get at the meetings with the other matriarchs all those years ago. What Aria had said was true and it distracted her for a moment and the elder Asari commando needed to get back to the topic at hand.

Feeling her anger grow again she continues. "There are two things I don't do." Aethyta begins. "One, is I don't get hangovers from drinking ryncol and two, I don't listen to anyone who tells me to calm down and then says something as idiotic as what I just heard. Now you both listen to me...this conversation between you two didn't happen and neither did the deal you have, because if I hear of anyone else's assistance being turned away, I swear to Athame I'll pull all the commandos from your security detail and allow all of those contracts on your head to be carried out, councilor. And then I'll find the biggest ship I can steal and turn Omega into a fucking dust cloud." The matriarch finishes turning her attention to Aria.

All of her stress, frustrations and emotions coming out with each word and for the first time in a long time she felt... better. The two Asari's in front of her needed to hear what she had to say, both needed to be taken off of their pedestals. Now it was just a question of how to convince the rest of the Asari leaders or simply have them removed.

"Aethyta my hands are tied with this." Tevos begins to say. "The help we did receive from the humans was unknown to our matriarch leaders, initially. They got wind of it and in order to save face I had to come up with an excuse as to why I allowed it...like Aria said we are still allowing outside help as well as offering what we can." Tevos explains to the Matriarch trying to get her to see what was happening and if she was lucky, drop the subject all together.

She wasn't normally one to pull rank but Aethyta had crossed the line with what she had just said and needed to be reminded who she was talking to. "And as far as threatening me, it was entirely uncalled for and I don't know where this is coming from or what has gotten you so upset but if your going to stand here in my office and make idle threats I'll remove you from..." Tevos tries to say.

"I told her everything." Aethyta growls out, interrupting the Asari councilor.

Receiving a confused look from the other two Asari, Aethyta continues. "I just got done telling Liara all about what happened with us all those years ago, just so she would take her mind off of the fact that Shepard may be dying so I'm in no mood to deal with your shit. And before you ask, no I don't know what is wrong with her, but if nothing else you owe her...You both do...You owe it to Liara and especially Shepard to continue what she did to save all of us, and that is to continue to stay united. She united the galaxy and squashed century old quarrels and saved your worthless asses." The matriarch pauses for a moment to allow her words to sink in. "We need help not whatever you two are doing, so if our elders are still blind to that fact then maybe _all_ of our leaders need to be removed because we won't survive long enough to try and dominate the galaxy." Her last words said in order to mock the Omega Queen and for a moment a flash of sadness crosses over Aria and Tevos's features at the mention of that time. Aethyta can only hope that what she has just said makes a difference as she walks out the door.

X

X

X

X

"Oriana, what have you found?" Miranda asks as the vid chat connects and her sister's face becomes visible. It had only been a few hours since she arrived at the Shepard/T'Soni home and Miranda was happy to hear from her younger sister. She had been worried that the shuttle travelling away from the Normandy would have attracted attention but luckily Oriana was not followed.

Knowing that her sister was safe the older Lawson had been deep in her research in order take her mind off of everything. Her and EDI had been looking for a location of where the signal ended that had been sending the information on Shepard. They had also been looking into the whereabouts of the experiment the Cerberus doctor had been conducting to save her child. Eventually her and EDI were able to find an entire cache of information regarding the Cerberus project that doctor Gallagher had started in some old Cerberus files that they uncovered. It seemed to be an odd coincidence that the information she was looking for had been so easily accessible but Miranda was too tired to argue. She was relieved in a way that there was anything to find at all but that did not make any of it easier. They still needed to find the exact location and see if it even worked.

"Hey Miri, yes actually I do have the results. It appears we were correct with what's happening to Shepard. The injections that she was given were supposed to be based on a sustained release system, normally tied to encapsulated pills but this is something I've never seen before."

Oriana went on to say that the serum had been working exactly as it was designed to. It attached itself to her hearts implant and pushed out small doses over the course of the short amount of time into her blood stream but when she was shot it caused an arrhythmia to develop and eventually the shock to her system counteracted the drugs time release technology and pushed a large dose she had been injected with into her blood stream. She continued to explain how the implants that Miranda had designed and surgically installed were slowing the process and that is why she seemed to be getting better. It wasn't until she heard the news of the Quib Quib explosion that there seemed to be another spike and her heart rate became erratic causing another rush of the drug and her to pass out. Oriana had been looking into the drugs chemical make-up and found that in small doses as it was designed to be administered it was harmful but not deadly. Having a large amount introduced into the blood stream was toxic and would have killed most people in an instant so Shepard is just lucky she isn't like any other human. She continued on telling her sister how the drug worked and whomever designed it was a genius. Even with that being true the work her and her sister had done was in essence saving the Commanders life for the time being.

"Like I said the implants and nanites are helping but its not enough. Her brain activity is beginning to be affected and the tissue is beginning to deteriorate...she has more time then we thought but not much. I fear if she has one more episode where her heart rate spikes for any reason it may cause her to fall into a coma that she may never be able to recover from. I'm in the process of creating a treatment to counteract, or I should say slow down the process but even if it works she could still become brain-dead before I can come up with something more permanent."

Seeing the dejected look come over her sisters features she can only shake her head and sigh. Removing herself emotionally from the entire situation had been easy for her, she had no attachment to the patient. Not nearly as much as everyone else involved anyway. Oriana knew this was difficult for her sister but she had to try and move past her friendship she has with her patient and focus.

"Miri, we need to help her as soon as we can so if you found anything please let me know."

She was exhausted and needed rest but her sleep deprivation that had now gone past the thirty six hour mark seemed to be in the process of continuing well past two days. Williams had just been put on quarters by Chakwas and her and Joker were in charge of the ship and with the mission still happening there were no signs of her being able to get some rest.

The remaining Quarian vessels had begun to finally come through the relay with little to no issues. Admiral Raan had ordered all of the remaining Quarian ships shudders and any outside ports to be blocked off and closed and if anyone were to ask about the debris they were told that it was from the war. Everyone was getting anxious about the already long wait and with each ships successful relay jump, Raan didn't want to have a million plus people begin to panic if they saw the wreckage. It was reported that the Quib Quib had returned to Ranoch and a future meeting between all in charge during the incident was called after the humans were dropped off, so an investigation into what happened could be conducted. The second wave of Quarian vessels had begun to return from Earth with more passengers from the dying planet, which took some stress off but nothing was ever as simple as it should be.

Everything seemed to be on schedule with the humans beginning to set up temporary shelters on Horizon. Even though the Alliance soldiers had been granted leave they first needed to do a sweep of the area as well as set up a base camp that surrounded the civilian shelters. Even with the low possibility of threats remaining, caution was taken due to pirates and looters attacking them and since the Alliance soldiers were distracted some over zealous humans took it upon themselves to lay claim to certain prefab homes, without consulting the Alliance first. This was going to happen eventually, each family receiving rights to a home but the Alliance wanted to make sure all of the homes that were there were sterilized and free of anything leftover from the war, namely bodies. Unfortunately fights began to break out between the civilians and the soldiers on the ground had to keep the safety of everyone top priority so the fighting that was happening was not making their jobs easy.

The majority of everyone on the planet had been on edge. Either the Marines because they lost their friends or the civilians who had been trapped on board a cramped ship for the last few hours so tensions were high. This was just one of the different problems Miranda had to deal with while trying to make sure all of the soldiers received their much deserved rest, she just didn't know when it would happen. This along with the research she was doing for Shepard, her lack of sleep and talking to Garrus moments ago, finding out about Tali's condition, all combined to cause the normally unshakeable woman to finally lock her door so she could be left alone for a moment.

She didn't mind the interruption by her sister but had hoped to hear something positive for the first time in a while. Oriana felt confident in her ability to come up with a temporary fix but that's all it was. She wanted to go over what she found but was too exhausted to go into any sort of detail so asked the one thing she could think of.

"Will Shepard wake up again?"

Smiling, Oriana nods and confirms her sisters worry. "She's up now actually."

X

X

X

X

"God Liara, how many times are you going to have to see me in sealed box?"

Shepard had woken up a short time after Oriana concluded her examination. She was initially groggy and sitting up posed a slight problem but after a moment and with Liara's assistance the Commander was able to move from the Med Bed to her actual bed. After Oriana had gone over what she had found with Liara, the Asari wanted to tell her lover what was happening and what steps were needed to be taken. To the Asari's surprise Kerry didn't want to know, being content with laying in their bed holding each other. After a few moments though Shepard could almost hear the wheels turning in the Asari's mind, wanting desperately to go over everything they knew thus far. As much as Shepard wanted to lie there a while longer in their own private ignorant bliss, she also knew her Bondmate needed to discuss what was wrong.

Looking into those blue eyes is something she hopes to never get used to but the sadness in them is almost too much to look at. Guilt starts to overtake Shepard's thoughts with everything that had, and was continuing to happen. Kerry's life may have gotten better since meeting her Asari on Therum but what did Liara's life turn into? Her mother was dead, her career as an archeologist and scholar put on hold with her becoming an information broker and a trained killer, and be responsible for a project that was supposed to destroy the Reapers. She had already mourned the loss of her first and only lover long before most Asari had even begun to settle down.

Kerry wondered how many times did Liara look at her, Miranda or even Joker and be brought back to that time? To have to risk her own life countless times to save a body, only to have to hand it over to the enemy and given possible false hope that she could be brought back. Having to witness the remains of the woman she loved be escorted away with the possibility of never seeing her again, succumbing to the pain that Shepard's loss caused and becoming set on revenge. Now having the possibility of mourning her all over again and when Shepard began to think about it she realized one thing and that all of Liara's pain was because of the human sitting in front of her...all because of her.

Pushing the dark thoughts away for the moment she can see the reaction from her poorly timed joke has hit a nerve and smiles apologetically. "Too soon?"

"A little, yes. How do you feel...are you in any pain?"

"Just a little tired but no pain. So what's wrong with me this time?"

Seeing the somber expression on the Asari's face as Liara explains everything Shepard runs her hand across a blue cheek wiping away a stray tear. Being able to feel her lovers touch again is a blessing for them both, thinking Shepard may die so soon after getting back into each others life again... There had to be a light at the end of this dark tunnel they both found themselves in, but where did it end was another question entirely.

Leaning into the humans hand, closing her eyes softly purring, it takes all of the Asari's restraint to not tackle her lover. They both missed the intimate times they spent together, they couldn't get enough and even though it had only been a few days since Shepard collapsed, following the advice from Oriana about not raising the Commanders heart rate was becoming difficult to listen to.

Watching Liara's reaction to the simple gesture only solidifies her feelings for her blue angel even more. To have this beautiful person sitting here with her, loving her, going to the ends of the galaxy in order to do whatever it takes to help her again, makes Kerry love her that much more. It begins to erase some of the guilt the human had been feeling and only pushes the stubborn human to want to survive that much more so she can give Liara the life she deserves. The more Shepard thought about it the luckier she felt, knowing that it may have been a long hard fought road with death marring most of the memories they each have, but they wouldn't be where they are today if not for the paths they each traveled.

Wanting to be closer and to feel more, it takes most of Shepard's strength as she sits up to kiss her lover deeply. She can feel the fatigue setting in as soon as their lips meet and she quickly and reluctantly pulls away, laying back and taking a few deep breaths.

"Dammit I cant even kiss you!" Anger and frustration laced in her words but she doesn't want to worry Liara anymore than she already is so taking another deep calming breath she takes a blue hand in her own and lightly kisses it, still trying to show as much affection as she can. Knowing Liara did not want to her exert herself too much, she does all that her body is allowing her to do and gently pulls Liara back down to lay with her.

Resting her head on Shepard's chest Liara tenses up after a moment of listening to her loves labored breaths and irregular heart beats. Sitting up in a panic she begins calling for Oriana.

"Liara wait...I'm ok..." Pulling the now visibly upset and shaking Asari back down on the bed so she can look her in the eyes. Holding her hands, Shepard continues. "I don't understand all of the details with what's happening to me but I know you're doing what you can. But so is everyone else so I want you to promise me something."

"Anything." Liara says barely above a whisper, tensing up a little more at what her lovers promise may entail.

"We've already discussed what's happening and hopefully we will no where to go soon so please promise me you won't get caught up in this. I don't want you dwelling on any of this anymore than you already have...I know how you think because I do it too, so stop thinking about the worst scenario...we need to enjoy our time together."

Receiving a nod and a small smile from the enchanting Asari sitting in front of her she sits up and kisses Liara again. She couldn't help how she felt about Liara and to know that they both survived the war, were together and having a child continued to bring emotions out of the Commander that she had never felt before and rather than pushing them away like she normally did, decided to embrace what she felt. Ever since they met each other the Commanders life had changed for the better in every aspect.

Hearing a knock at the door brings them both out of their trance. Turning to see Oriana smiling at the couple they nod when she asks to come in.

"Did Miranda say where we needed to go?" Liara asks before the younger human reaches the side of the bed to look over the machine that was monitoring Shepard's vitals.

"She did...we have to go back to Earth but I think your needed on the Normandy first...Tali survived but it's not good."


	12. Closure

**A/N: Wow this chapter is longer than I wanted it to be but as I have said before, I have a method to my madness or I'm just mad...hope you enjoy.**

* * *

**"Closure"**

Breathe...trust... bless... me and release...climb...hard... never be seen.

Closed... off... rescue to breathe... Just... bless... me~

Two sided time... Your rebirth can't hurt... Branch out behind...the pain.

Closure has come... to me... myself,

You will never belong to me.

Closure has come... to me... myself,

You will never belong... to me.

Had to turn... lay... down,

Your sting of disease.

Phase you out, should've seen this coming.

Go on... confusing the soul,

Hold my breath 'til you rupture~

Three days aside, Your rebirth can't hurt, Branch out behind, pride.

Closure has come... to me... myself,

You will never belong ...to me.

Closure has come to me myself,

You will never belong...to me~

Like a leach, I hold ...on... as if we belonged, To... some precious pure dream.

Cast off, you've seen what's beneath, Now... fail... me~

Faulty closure

Closure has come... to me ...myself,

You will never belong to me. Closure has come... to me... myself

You will never belong to me~

* * *

It is hard for Miranda to look at the great Commander Shepard, her friend who is in a hover chair and has just been brought onboard the Normandy. She looks weak and fragile, even more than she did in the hospital on Earth and at that time she had been involved in a war, then an explosion and ended up needing a heart transplant.

Her skin is paler than normal and it looks as if she is malnourished but Miranda knew that wasn't the case since she had been given plenty of fluids while unconscious in the medical bed and her sister had witnesses her eat and drink. None of that is much of a condolence when the ex- Cerberus operative stares at her friend, knowing what her current medical condition is.

Even with all that being said Miranda saw determination in Shepard's eyes as she heads to the Med bay with Liara in tow to talk to their ailing Quarian friend. For the first time since retrieving Tali everyone on board felt that this is what the Quarian needs in order to recover. She had been suffering since they rescued her and Chakwas had to continually sedate her since she refused to let anyone help her. Tali tried to hurt herself after the effects of the sedatives wore off so Chakwas continually had her monitored.

Shepard seems to be the last hope since nothing is working, not even seeing her old crew of Joker and Chakwas. Williams, who had been taken off of quarters or Garrus, her lover, could get through and make Tali see that even though a tragedy has happened it wasn't her fault. Telling her not to blame herself that she didn't rebuild the ship or allow it to have the flaw that caused it to break apart, that there was obviously a reason she was saved, but none of it helped.

Chakwas kept the last dose of sedatives she gave to Tali low, so when the Commander came on board the Quarian would be awake. Hackett had allowed the Normandy to pick the three of them up since he put the Alliance on leave and before anyone else could say a word to welcome her Shepard heads to the med bay to talk to her Quarian sister. For precautionary measures the ships doctor had her strapped down and she had already started to come out of her fog and yell at everyone when Kerry and Liara entered the room. Seeing her two friends only makes what she is going though that much worse and she tries in vain to get out of her restraints, wanting nothing to do with either of them.

"Leave me alone. I already failed you and everyone else... I don't need you to come and tell me..."

"How did you fail Tali? Please tell me why you are thinking that way?" When the Quarian remains quiet Shepard continues. "Tali, I understand your hurting...and nothing I say or do will help bring back the people that were lost. It won't stop the pain you feel or the self imposed guilt for not being quick enough to save them. Trust me I know... Since my parents died I've been trying to make up for that fact that I wasn't strong or quick enough...and as many times as I've tried I've failed... like on Akuze with my crew, on Noveria with Li's mother, on Virmire with Kaiden, on the collector base with all those people who died in the pods...Firing the crucible...How many people were lost because I didn't get there fast enough but I didn't give up. What keeps me going is knowing I have you all in my life and I was fast enough and strong enough to save you. It wasn't easy getting to this point and it won't be easy for you but you need to let go of the guilt and live...there was a reason you survived...just like there was a reason I survived and everyone else here as well. As far as the ones that didn't, you need to do something to honor their memories and never allow anyone especially yourself to forget them."

As Shepard's words begin to sink in, and the human begins to take the restraints off, Tali turns her head towards the human for the first time since they arrived and knew there was something wrong. She could hear it in the way the human was speaking but hadn't been paying attention in the beginning and now that she is looking at the Commander she can see her friend is sick. Before she can say anything Kerry continues.

"You're one of the strongest people I know and you're a part of the only family I have left. You're going to be an aunt to our daughter so I can't lose that...I won't lose that." Having to stop to catch her breath she feels a hand on her shoulder squeezing, a look of concern on Liara's face.

Giving her Asari lover a nod that she was okay she continues. "Tali I may not have much time left so I need you to listen. I..." As soon as the words left her mouth she could see the change in the Quarian's demeanor. Even with the mask on Shepard could tell that Tali forgot about her problems for the moment.

"What do you mean you don't have much time left? Liara what's wrong with her?" She asks, each word growing in volume and attracting the security detail that is outside the door. "Oh go away you Boshtets, go do something useful and get me doctor Chakwas!" Tali yells at the now confused and hesitating marines. "I said go!"

After the security detail leaves and they have privacy Liara fills the Quarian Admiral in on what had happened over the course of the past few days. Liara is reluctant to bring up why Shepard had collapsed this last time thinking that Tali would blame herself but she took in stride, obviously worrying more about her human friend at the moment.

"This is why we are heading to Earth so we can see if this Cerberus project even exists." Liara finishes as Chakwas enters the room.

"Tali its nice to finally see that your no longer in need of the restraints." Chakwas says while looking towards the Commander, with an admonishing stare. It was typical Shepard behavior, always doing whatever she thought she could get away with, even being sick; always such a pain. The elder human doctor is relieved that Tali didn't try to hurt herself but she had a feeling Kerry could talk her out of whatever guilt that had been plaguing her.

"I'm sorry doctor for how I behaved before...I was just...It still hurts but, with everyone here it helps."

"No need for apologies my dear. It was a traumatic experience to say the least but I am glad you were brought back to me safely. Now, I do believe I have to do an examination of the Commander."

As Chakwas pushes Kerry over to an examination area Liara sits on the bed next to Tali, putting an arm around the upset Quarian. "Everything will be okay Tali, you'll see."

"I don't want to think about it anymore Liara." Tali says in between sobs. As soon as her Asari friend began to comfort her, she began to feel a little bit better but knew she shouldn't be feeling this way at all. She was the reason for all the death that just happened and had been waiting for Hackett or another Quarian Admiral to walk through the door and escort her away to be tried and executed for her failings as a leader.

When she first saw Shepard walk into the room she became terrified at what her human sister would say to her, how disappointed she is with her for allowing any of this to happen, but she didn't. She was caring, compassionate, and once again putting everyone else's feelings above her own problems, typical Shepard. That is one of the great qualities Shepard has but at the same time it could be infuriating.

"Liara what's wrong with her?" She asks after Liara was able to calm her down. That was the great thing about the Asari, she'd be there for you as well and make you see the good in any situation even without saying a word.

Taking a moment to collect her thoughts, Liara goes into more detail about what has gone on. From the injections Shepard was given while at the hospital on Earth to her having problems with her heart transplant after she was shot, Liara briefly went over what she felt the Quarian could handle. Tali seems to take it all in stride and demands to go along once they reached Earth to which Chakwas voices her doubts but Tali is a trusted friend. If anything this mission would probably be a much needed distraction for the hurting Quarian, so Chakwas agreed to letting her go.

After the Normandy's doctor finishes her examination of the Commander, her and Oriana begin to work on an antidote to at least try and slow the process down and keep Shepard's health from regressing. Oriana had briefed her sister and the elder human doctor as soon as she returned and seemed to have an idea for a permanent cure but didn't have enough knowledge on the drug and its parameters to be able to come up with a permanent solution quickly. Unfortunately the poison that had been injected began to attack her system at a rapid pace since she woke up. With Kerry refusing to be sedated again, telling everyone that if she were to die she wanted to be able to at least say goodbye to everyone first, it was making it difficult. Time was of the essence as they were heading towards Earth and after a while Miranda was finally able to pinpoint where they needed to go and that was London.

Apparently the Cerberus base they had been looking for was in the area that the war had ended and it put everyone on edge a little more. The Crucible had been moved to a secure location but everyone's memories were still fresh enough to remember each detail even without the weapon in orbit. Miranda had already been leery of any of this since it may cause some of the people on-board to begin to have flashbacks of the war. She was also worried that this was a trap of some sort since the initial search for information came back with nothing. After a few moments had passed EDI reported an entire file had been found and it felt too easy. Something seemed to be drawing them all back to that area again, deliberately or not remains to be seen.

Another problem that arose was where the help was coming from when they finally arrived and that came in the form of Rebecca Finch's two friends, Brock and Darian. They had been assigned to different Quarian ships and were waiting to go through the relay and once they found out what had happened they landed on Horizon and made sure everything had began to run smoothly. They then immediately took a shuttle back to the Normandy to meet up with Spectre Williams. It was hard for Ashely to look at them when they first arrived and not think of Chief Harris and all the other marines that died but she knows as time goes on it will become a little easier.

Ashley is grateful for everyone's understanding with the hardship she had endured. Even though they only knew each other for a short time, Chief Harris became something more than a one night stand or a fling. He listened to her and brought out feelings in her she never thought were even there. She was never one to have a private life but he made her see that there was more to life than just being a soldier. Part of it could have been because the war is finally over as well but she liked to think of her new found emotions as being the Chief's fault and she will remember him well for it.

Seeing the other Alliance Lieutenant's, brings some relief to the fact that help was needed and they are headed into a situation blind. Williams had tried to contact some of the old crew members that she knew but most were unavailable or didn't respond. Wrex and Grunt were, 'busy' and Kasumi had taken a shuttle in order to bring Traynor back to Eden Prime so she could find what was left of her family. Samara was in Asari space and unreachable, no one had heard from Zaeed since the war and Hackett had just put the majority of the military on leave so it left one person and that was Jack. After a few choice words asking why Shepard needed help again and why the fuck does she keep getting bothered, the crazy biotic agreed to meet them. It only left one last question and that was who from the ship was going to go with her?

Miranda needed to go as well as Garrus and the two Alliance soldiers but it only leaves a few civilians in Solana and Oriana, Liara who was pregnant, Chakwas, a Spectre who couldn't get out of her chair without assistance and a crippled pilot. If the mission was a little different then Williams would not have liked their chances but this was only a recon mission and Cerberus was no longer a threat; right?

Before Ashley could over-think things more the door to the back of the med bay opens up and the body that EDI had been using during the war walks in.

"Perhaps I can be of some assistance."

"EDI? Not that I'm not grateful for the help but how?" Williams asks in disbelief. The AI had admitted that she was functioning at a lower operating rate so Williams did not think the AI could merge into her old body.

"Apparently the Alliance had not removed my old platform from the ship and this transition was much easier then the first. I was able to make the necessary repairs that this platform had suffered after the Crucible fired and I am back to eighty five percent of what I once was."

"But why now?"

"Because of what the Commander just said to Admiral Tali'Zorah vas Quib Quib...not one more...Even with her health failing she is not going to allow anymore of her friends to die and she is my friend and has taught me much over the past few months about the subject. Even though I am not technically alive I don't want to lose her and I'm sure everyone else feels the same." The AI finishes, stunning the entire med bay into silence again. She then turns to Shepard and continues. "Commander I know you may be upset with me since we have discussed the matter of privacy but what you said to Tali seems to have helped her get back on her feet so I was hoping to do the same for you."

"EDI, thank you..." Shepard finally says to the AI. After EDI had come out of the back room surprising everyone and then made mention to the fact that she didn't want to lose anyone she considered a friend, Shepard began to look around the room at everyone there. It made her think of the people she had come to know that had lost their lives and had meant something to her and it made the first human Spectre appreciate who she has in her life that much more. They may not have been related or even like each other at times but they were in her life for a reason and she was fine with that. If this was to be her final moments then she is glad she is on her ship, with her friends and loved ones; this is her home.

* * *

Over the course of the next few hours everyone aboard the Normandy visited the Commander and Tali in the Med-bay and each were grateful that the two patients seemed to be in better spirits. Miranda and Liara had gone over all of the findings they recovered during the search, while Williams and Garrus listened and tried to come up with an idea on how to proceed. The amount of data was astonishing and it was nearly too much to go though. Lawson surmised that it would take an entire room full of people months to sift through it all just to make sense of anything but EDI was able to decipher the majority of it in little to no time at all.

With the AI's help it became a quick process but still seemed too easy, especially when EDI had informed them on numerous occasions that the classified Cerberus data they found had already been decrypted for them.

By the time Joker informed them that they were making the jump to the Sol system they all came to one conclusion and that even though this had a high probability of working, there was an even higher probability that it was some sort of trap since the information was so readily available.

During that time, Oriana had finally come up with a temporary solution to help Shepard but it isn't any better than what she is already going through. She had ran numerous tests on the Commanders blood and found that only one procedure worked out of the many she tried and that was radiation treatments. It had a high probability of slowing down the process and killing off the toxins that were travelling through her system but there was more of a probability of Oriana's treatment making her violently ill or even killing her quicker than the injections Cerberus had given her. She would only be able to handle being treated with this method safely no more than once a week but it would give her a small chance from regressing any further until a more permanent treatment was found if this current mission fails.

Since she had been awake both Liara and Oriana could tell Shepard was getting worse. She initially refused to be sedated but since this is the only other option and with a little encouragement from Liara, Kerry agreed to be put under a low dosed sedative as long as Liara agreed to stay on the shuttle until the all-clear was given. Oriana reassured the Commander that being sedated is the best way but also made sure to let them know that if nothing is found on Earth within the next six hours then they may have to continue with the radiation treatment.

Liara became relieved that her lover was agreeing to be sedated. It would allow the Asari to concentrate on the task at hand and the human would be able to rest and not think about anything since Kerry did not want her pregnant Asari to go without her and Liara did not want her human to worry anymore and make her condition worse. It was going to be hard for both of them to let go but they know it is a necessity. Shepard only wishes they have time for a proper bonding ceremony since they were on the ship where they fell in love and all of their friends were already there, but once again the timing was wrong.

* * *

"Ten seconds until we enter Earth's atmosphere." Jokers voice can be heard throughout the ship, breaking everyone's train of thought. They all stop what they are doing in order to look at the closest monitor in order to see what the pilot was witnessing.

The view from the pilot's seat is as breathtaking as it was upsetting. To see the once flourishing planet reduced to a smoldering mess was disheartening to say the least. The last time the crew had been here was a little over a month ago but the devastation seems to have gotten worse. The majority of the planet is now uninhabited as the evacuation process had actually been a success. Ninety percent of the planets population chose to leave after repeated messages from the Alliance were broadcasted.

The remaining humans that stayed were either too afraid of what is out there and still believes there is a threat or they don't believe the reports that the planet is dying even though it is obviously getting worse. No matter the reasoning there were still some people scattered everywhere and Joker could only hope they avoided the areas that had been decimated and they'd eventually leave. With Earth slowly dying it is only a matter of time before the Alliance would have to abandon the planet only to have slavers and pirates make Earth their home world which would make things worse for those that stayed.

Shaking his head to get the dark thoughts out, Joker looks out over the vast scenery in front of him and thinks back to the end of the war when he was called in for an emergency pick up. The next thing he knew they were being ordered to leave the system while Liara was pleading with everyone to stay and not abandon Shepard.

'_How could you all just leave her here to die!?' _The Asari had screamed at them.

It was hard to hear those words from the Asari, calling everyone a coward for leaving the Commander and Joker had made it a point to keep his distance after they crashed. Now with Shepard alive it makes it easier to think about that time but he wishes they didn't have to go back to the place where it all ended. He couldn't imagine what is even left to find and the closer they get to their destination Miranda had provided the closer the destruction left in the Reapers wake becomes visible.

"Commander Williams, the readings from the probe we sent down indicate there is a toxicity level 4 in the atmosphere down there so full re-breathers and armor." The pilot informs the crew. In the short amount of time since they have all been away from the planet the atmosphere has worsened and Joker didn't know how anyone could still be walking around in this...mess?

The Normandy pilot looks on in disbelief, and numerous questions begin to race through his mind. Questions like; did the destruction the Reapers left in their wake disrupt every planet's atmosphere and eco-system enough that they will suffer the same fate as the humans only at a later time? If that is true then is the rebuilding process they are doing now to ensure survival on other planets only prolonging the inevitable and every planet the Reapers had been on would require an evacuation? Then if that is true then where would they all go? Not wanting to think anymore on the subject he forces himself to concentrate on finding their destination but his mind continues to wander.

What he sees in front of him almost reminds Joker of an old Earth vid that showed what it may have been like on the planet if Humans were to vanish, mixed in with another vid that showed what the 'real world' would look like when AI's took over and used humans as an energy source. The first vid was more of a documentary and went over what Earth would look like without people and what would happen over the course of a certain amount of years. It explained how everything Humans had built would begin to fall apart and erode away until there is no trace of their existence... similar to the Prothean empire... only this was an actual representation. The second vid he hopes doesn't come true, and he'd wake up one day in a pod with hoses and wires attached to him everywhere and have to eat slop and still be a crippled pilot and have computer programs trying to kill him and be chased by squid looking machines and...

'_Relax'..._

The biggest difference between the vid and real life is that Humans and Protheans didn't disappear, they were slaughtered or forced to leave by an artificial race of beings, and the buildings didn't fall over due to lack of maintenance, they were demolished. It was hard to think about what has happened only a few months prior much less witness the aftermath first hand and it takes everything Joker has not to close the shudders and have EDI land the ship.

He is grateful his AI was alive and ecstatic she is back in her body but couldn't help worry about a few things. The first is, that they are once again going to a Cerberus facility and he began to play the 'what if' game in his head. He knows Cerberus is no more but did they leave an actual trap for them to find and set off? Were they only supposed to make it this far, surviving the war only to be killed by the Illusive man? Or would they set off an EMP that eliminated every electronic device, ship and relay out there, crippling the galaxy permanently?

It may have been a long shot but Joker would not have put it past the Illusive man to implement a fail safe if the Cerberus leader didn't think he'd survive the war. Joker knew the deceased Cerberus leader well enough not to put it past him and his ego that if the glory and a long life weren't going to be his then he'd make damn sure no one had one either. It was overkill and Joker knew his thoughts were just him being paranoid but he wonders how far off he actually is.

His thoughts then turn to why they had been fighting for their lives for the past few years and in the end what it all meant? Their enemies were synthetics that became aware of their own creators constantly destroying each other so they destroyed them and created a cycle that would allow other organics to evolve and try to live together in peace but it never worked, so Joker becomes afraid that the reasoning behind the Reapers attacking every fifty thousand years may have been correct since there seems to always be problems with the AI's like the Geth and it didn't seem to end, and now there is a possibility of the Geth being brought fully back online and it begins to scare the shit out of him that this is turning into another Earth vid and skynet would be the death of them all.

And what kind of future if any did he have with the ships AI after they attacked and would she eventually become homicidal and kill him in his sleep and it'd be his fault because he unshackled her... or would she make him her slave and tell him to get on his knees and he'd break all of his bones and she'd become the overlord and laugh her sinister laugh, and everyone would kneel before her, and someone would have to come back from the future to save them only it wouldn't matter because judgment day happens either way, and he doesn't want his skin to melt off because of the nuclear bomb but it wouldn't matter because EDI would have already killed him and...

"Jeff?"

"AHHHH...don't kill me!"

"Jeff, why would I kill you and what has caused your heart rate to go up?"

"EDI?...Sorry..." Joker is trying to relax a little by taking deep breaths, trying to think of something to say." ...it's a little lonely up here and with the view outside...sorry its just my imagination."

"Then I will stay with you until it is time to land."

"Uh ok." He says watching the AI sit. He's always liked the way EDI looked but now he's never taking his eyes off of her.

* * *

Normally before a mission the ground team would be ready well in advance but when the ships crew looked at the monitors and what Joker was witnessing it made everyone stop for a moment. Those that were on the planet at the end of the war had secretly hoped to never return but now they have been here twice in less than a couple of months. The first time had been a relief since they had been stuck on an unknown planet for months and Vancouver didn't look like it was too bad since some of it had been rebuilt. Now they were back in the area where it all ended and it was hard to look at.

When they initially came back and landed on Earth two months ago they had thought they had witnessed all of the destruction but what they are seeing now is shocking to say the least. Everyone who is standing has to sit and quickly grabs the hand of the person next to them for support.

Liara is no different and when she looks towards her lover she could tell that the Commander is trying not to remember what happened there just a short time ago. Squeezing the humans hand a little, she is relieved when Kerry looks at her and smiles but Liara knew it is hard for her to see it all again. She knows Shepard is still having issues with her memory and remembering everything that had happened but right now the humans mind is having no problems conjuring anything up and she is desperately trying to not let it bother her.

There were fires still burning, buildings still collapsing and devastation as far as you could see. Shepard thought she recognized some of it but began to realize that the more she looks at the monitor in the med bay the more it all begins to look the same. It's as if someone has taken the same picture over and over again, then scattered them across the planet so no matter where you look you can't differentiate one place to the next.

The sky was black and the ground was no different with the exception of certain areas covered in water. Most of the oceans still had their blue tinge to them until you reached an area near land. All of the water near the coast had become a brownish green color indicating all of the toxins that ran off into them and everyone witnessing the feed had to shake their heads. Even the aliens who have never been on the planet before knows this is not what it used to look like and Solana is hopeful that Palaven has a chance after seeing this.

"Commander Williams, the readings from the probe we sent down indicate there is a toxicity level 4 in the atmosphere down there so full re-breathers and armor." Joker's voice can be heard across the ship and Sheppard immediately looks towards her lover.

"Jeff seems to be distressed about something, I'll be back." EDI says while walking towards the flight deck.

Not wanting to have the human worry anymore than she already is, Liara takes Kerry's hand in hers and kisses it as she enters Kerry's subconscious. Liara never needed to ask as she is always welcome in her humans mind and this time the Asari's presence was needed. Liara can feel the Commanders worries as well as her own and sends as much love and reassurance as she can in order to calm her lover. It always worked and this time was no different as Kerry instantly begins to relax in the comfort of her lovers mind. They both love how they each felt during the meld no matter the circumstance.

Whether it was a knowledge meld or a mating one they each enjoy how it made them feel; loved and wanted. They both begin to crave more of each other as Liara can feel the need from Shepard as well as her own desires but the Asari has to make sure they don't get caught up in the temporary bliss the meld brought to them. Pulling back slightly so they don't become overwhelmed Liara can feel the support but also concern from her lover and she deliberately projects how confident she is. Confidence in herself, the people she is with and the fact that they will not fail this mission, plus Liara humors her human and tells her she will wear her full armor like a good girl.

_'Good now you can go play with the others.'_ She says jokingly but turns serious for a moment. _'Please, just be careful and know that I love you.' _

* * *

Being in full hard suits and masks made it hard to breath and with the toxicity level alarms going off at a constant in everyone's suit it began to put the entire team on edge and is making the beginning of this mission difficult. They needed to find this Cerberus base quick. EDI has been monitoring everyone's vitals while they were doing their search and no one had reached a critical level where they need to replace the filters, yet. They had about four hours of work life even in a highly toxic area but no one wanted to test the time limits.

They had split up into teams just like they did when searching for Tali. Team one lead by Williams and team two by Garrus so they could cover more ground. Miranda had been assigned to Williams group and since EDI was with Garrus they each had an idea as to where this base was. The AI had been able to find its location hidden amongst the data and was able to pinpoint where they had to go within a few feet but with all of the devastation around the area they were looking in it was difficult. Team three consisted of Liara, Tali, Solana and the Commander who was sleeping in the Med-bed. They had stayed onboard the shuttle that was circling overhead to try and assist those on the ground but there is nothing obvious.

They were about to move on to another area when they hear a crash followed by some obscenity filled screaming, courtesy of Jack. She had arrived before the Normandy crew and brought along a couple of her students that had survived the war. It may not have been the ideal situation but Shepard had saved them and made sure they were only used in a support role during the war. Jack never verbalized it but she was grateful for how the Commander pulled their asses out of the fire and she briefly felt bad for smacking her when they first saw each other at Grissom Academy. She knew everyone was surprised to see her with clothes and hair and was happy that the Cerberus cheerleader wasn't with Shepard's crew at the time, even though she's here now. The real shocker was her vocabulary and she had been doing well up until now.

"Fucking, shit!"

"Hold your ears kids." Garrus says to the two young biotics Jack brought."Jack you alright?" The Turian asks with clear amusement in his voice. He knew the human biotic was already on edge bringing her students there since it was a Cerberus facility and then she had to wear a full hard suit to top it all off. Falling down this hole was probably the last straw so he decides to push it further since she is far enough away...he hopes.

"What the fuck do you think Garrus, I just fell down a fucking hole and hurt my foot you ass! How about you fall the fuck down here with me so you can see how the fuck this shit feels."

"Oh relax it's only a few feet deep quite your bitching. Suck it up buttercup." Garrus continues to push the ex- con.

"Listen shit head, you say another stupid word, I'll rip your fucking..."

"Did you find anything?" Williams comes across the comm asking impatiently. After a few moments Jack responds.

"Yeah, maybe but..." The human biotic says as she looks around. She was trying to see what she fell into but there was too much debris lying around.

"Is it what we've been looking for?" Lawson's voice cuts in for the first time, not allowing Jack to finish her answer.

"How the fuck should I know? It's not like there's a big fucking sign that says...if your looking for a Cerberus hideout, here I am... I know you Cerberus fucks are stupid but not that dumb so how about..." Everyone's attention is piqued when Jack stops her rant. "...are you seriously shitting me?"

"Jack?"

"There's a door...with a Cerberus logo on it." She says barely above a whisper.

"Can you repeat that Jack I didn't hear you." Garrus laughs and continues to push the human, who'd probably kill him in a second.

"You know exactly what I said you dick fart now get me out of here..."

* * *

After the members of the team with Biotics clear all of the debris from around the area where Jack fell they inspect the area for anything obvious that may be a trap. Everyone is on edge but it looks to be an entrance to an underground area and after they force open the door they find a set of stairs leading down a dark narrow hallway.

"Of course it is." Williams grumbles at the situation they find themselves in, again. "Listen up, we can only fit two wide so we need to be careful. Brock and Darian I want you two to stay here and make sure no one tries to ambush us from behind and EDI your with me, Jack, Miranda pair up and Garrus you'll bring up the rear, kids, your going back to the shuttle with Liara."

After a few groans from Jack and her students they start to enter the door and as soon as they cross the threshold they are met with a barrage of bullets and quickly try to find cover. Everyone's alarms begin to go off letting them know they lost or are close to loosing their shields. Williams had taken the majority of the hits since she was in front and pushed EDI down but only sustained minor injuries.

Not able to move due to the continuing gun fire passing over head and unable to see who was firing, Miranda puts up a barrier as Jack sends a shockwave down the hall, silencing the attack.

"I will destroy you!" Is heard as a blue ball of energy is let loose at the unknown target.

For a moment no one moves only to check themselves for any injuries. Thankfully no one suffers anything severe even though Jack was still hobbled from the fall.

She was unable to move as fast as the others when the gunfire started but Miranda had pushed her down and was laying on top of her. Being in full armor and helmets made it hard to tell what expressions each of them had but Miranda became curious at the way Jack was looking at her and thought for a moment she saw a sincere smile until two hands slap her on the backside as Jack thanks her big ass for saving her.

Rolling her eyes, she gets up and is surprised on how well they can still work as a team but she knew they all had a good leader. They had become proficient at it when they were going after the Collectors and apparently still were able to work together well. Shepard has a knack for turning even the most rag tag of groups into a well oiled machine and they were no different.

No one wants to take another chance that there is something else waiting for them so after a moment Ashley has EDI run a scan of the hallway to see if there are any more troops.

"It seems to have been a turret set up to fire once the entrance was crossed but I can not ascertain who or what is waiting for us. There is something blocking my scanners." The AI reports to the human Spectre.

"Well there's our trap we've been expecting...hope it's the only one. Listen up, I want every light we have turned on and illumination sticks tossed inside." Williams orders and after everyone complies she turns to lead them into the entrance once more. "Lets go!"

"Stop!" A male voice echoes through the hall; once again causing everyone to try and find cover. "You come any closer and you'll set off the proximity mines I have set up. Now who are you and what do you want?"

Williams can hear the nervousness in his voice and has a feeling they were dealing with a scared civilian but whoever is screaming at them is obviously armed, dangerous and in the way.

"This is Commander Ashley Williams, Alliance Marine and Council Spectre. We are searching for..."

Gunfire erupts from an SMG as soon as Ash mentions that she is a Spectre but Jack and Miranda quickly put up another barrier. Just as quickly as it starts everything becomes quiet again.

"Bullshit the only human Spectre I know of is Shepard and you ain't her. So I'll ask you again, who the fuck are you?" The man yells and begins to shoot before an answer can be given.

Not wanting to hurt a civilian but not having much of a choice Williams nods to Garrus and a moment later a single shot can be heard over the gun fire, ending the attackers life.

"Everyone okay?" Williams asks getting up off the ground again. "Great, mines, now how are we getting down there..."

"It's alright you can come down now." Another voice can be heard from the end of the hallway. "I disabled the mines." Before anyone could call this new persons bluff a figure begins to move towards them.

"Stop now or you'll end up like your friend." Garrus warns.

"He wasn't my friend, Mr. Vakarian. He found us here and was holding me and my daughter captive. I told him you were coming and he set this all up. Told me he'd kill us both if I didn't help him try and kill a Spectre." He explains as he continues to get closer. He goes on to tell the group that the man had somehow found the underground safe-house and the building above it had recently collapsed. Apparently the man who was just killed was apart of some mercenary group and was waiting for them to pick him up. The Merc was going to take them both as hostages when his counterparts arrived but once he found out what was in the bunker and who was coming he changed his mind.

Normally Garrus would have put a bullet in his skull but he recognizes the darker skinned human male who is now standing only a few feet in front of them with his hands raised, letting them all know he isn't a threat. "I've been expecting you all, especially you Ms. Lawson."

"Captain Riley, what are you doing here?" Miranda asks in confusion.

"I'll explain everything once we are inside...please." He motions for everyone to walk into the tunnel that was just said to have explosives lining it.

Once inside captain Riley begins to explain everything. He told them all about his involvement with Cerberus and how he was forced to change the coroner report when the house Shepard and Liara were in exploded. He told everyone there how Cerberus had infiltrated the hospital in London and eventually New York so they could monitor Shepard's progress after Miranda performed the operation, replacing her implants and extending her life. He told them all about the serum they created to try and control Shepard so they could use the crucible and control the other races, destroying them if they didn't. How he and Gallagher had found the current bunker they were in and set up all of her equipment to continue on with her research as well as keep their daughter safe but after Gallagher died he became stuck since the Alliance was looking for anymore Cerberus members. He knew Shepard was ill and it was only a matter of time before someone came looking for answers. He then explains how he had been monitoring everywhere he could to see when someone would begin to look for his wife's research.

"So what do you want from us, since you obviously lead us here?" Williams asks. "Why should we trust you since we are the ones that killed the rest of Cerberus and your wife? Why should we trust your going to help Shepard at all?!"

"Yeah and what's with the sign on the door?" Jack interjects still annoyed they'd be that stupid.

"The sign was encrypted and could only be seen by Cerberus personnel that had a chip implanted in the ocular nerve. It was a way for anyone with this implant to find local safe-houses or labs. I knew you wouldn't be able to find me here so I illuminated the marking. When the building above us collapsed it made it impossible for anyone to locate us so I went out to try and remove some of the debris and got caught by our deceased friend."

"As far as my wife and why I am helping the Commander...before I answer I need you all to think about something. I want you to think about what its like to join a cause or the military because you know it stands for something good and useful and then watch it turn into something hideous. I may miss my wife but when we joined Cerberus it was for different reasons. Reasons like the illusive man always stated in the beginning... what our ultimate goal was; human advancement. The problem is he turned into an abomination a long time ago. Like with you Jack..." He says pointing to the biotic who had been hovering by the exit since they arrived. "And you Miranda and your sister? If you think the illusive man didn't have his hand in part of your creations you need to take a closer look into everything. Even with the Commander; whoever heard of someone coming back from death and actually being who they once were?"

"Miracles? Yes...Human advancement? Absolutely... But at what cost? What research did you have to do Ms. Lawson in order to recreate and extend life? How far did you go? How far did all of the doctors and researchers go to create Jack into what she is or was. I loved my wife but she lost sight of what we were trying to accomplish in the end, I will mourn her, but she was suffering from the loss of our children and I feel that dying was her only way out. So yes, I will help you since you all seem to be moving towards the same goal and that's recovering the galaxy...all of the galaxy... and Shepard will be needed to do so. I only ask for safe passage from here, so my daughter can experience life...Shepard gave Kelly that second chance so I want to return the favor."

"So that's why you won't just give us the antidote...you want a favor? You want forgiveness for everything Cerberus has done?"

"No, I don't want forgiveness because there is nothing I can ask forgiveness for. I'm already being punished for it all with the death of my wife. And I can't give you an antidote because there isn't one, so tell your doctors that the radiation treatment won't work to get rid of it. All they will be succesful in doing is killing her quicker. Yes I know you found the radiation treatments successful because that's the only thing we could get to slow the serum down... Trust me this is the only way."

Seeing the faces in the room of Miranda and Jack, knowing they were trying to process what had just been said to them, Ashley tries to put herself in everyone elses position so she can better understand the decisions they had made in the past. After a moment she agrees to his demands but with certain stipulations that they would go over after the Commander was up and around. The next thing they needed to do was get Liara and Shepard to them and after Williams contacts Cortez to land the shuttle she encourages Riley to continue, wanting to know how any of this worked.

Riley told them that Shepard and Miranda's implants were the last piece to the puzzle that doctor Gallagher was looking for in order to create the perfect soldier. A soldier that would heal on the battle field if wounded barring a catastrophic injury, almost instantly. The years it took to get everything accomplished only to have the funding cut by the illusive man because of Miranda and her Lazarus project.

Gallagher didn't understand why there was such a large amount of credits being thrown at this single soldier that was dead when she had a chance to create numerous soldiers that would become nearly unstoppable. When she was successful there would be no cause for concern due to emotions, or feelings of remorse, guilt or love to get in the way. Each one would do its job and never stray from an order, such as not destroying the collector base or taking the most advanced ship ever built and handing it over to the Alliance after they were done with the mission. In other words she had made it possible to create an entire Army of soldiers better than Shepard and it was squandered.

"Yes but didn't all of her research revolve around Reaper Tech. Not to mention the fact that we saw what the Illusive man had done to his soldiers so we know some of her research was used."

"Yes it was but..." Riley tries to answer but is quickly cut off by Miranda.

"So answer me this Captain Riley, how many times can you change someone or implant them until you've created an abomination like the Reapers did to the Protheans and us...How much is enough? Furthermore if this is what this machine is used for, creating soldiers without feelings or fear of danger or concern for others then I'm sure once doctor T'Soni arrives with Shepard, she'll agree with me that it isn't worth the risk. That is the one thing about the Illusive man Captain, he wanted her just as she was before she died and she is."

"Miranda please, it isn't like that. My wife realized it wasn't the best option but the Illusive man took what she had and implemented it. She stopped using Reaper tech when she lost our child." The Captain says solemnly, knowing he is about to revisit a horrible part of his life again.

Continuing to tell the group about how his lover changed what she was doing and stopped all procedures that used this type of technology, knowing that the side effects would do irreparable damage. But she was able to recreate what she had done without the Reaper tech but it wasn't as efficient. The Alliance/ Cerberus Captain goes on to say that around the time of the initial budget cut Gallagher became pregnant but eventually lost the baby. She decided to continue on with her work but in a different direction, funding it themselves. Once she found a way to make sure a human, fetus or adult, was incapable of contracting any disease or ailment and combine it with the research she already had for the perfect soldier she knew the illusive man would allow her continue but he was still more concerned with Shepard and the Lazarus project. With the exception of saving one of their children, their findings were left untouched for more than two years until the Commander told him to go screw, then the Cerberus leader began to use what she had created.

Riley went on to say that he and the Cerberus doctor were married and after they lost their first child they both became so grief stricken that it was hard for either of them to go on but they did in order to keep their minds off of what they had lost. With the grief came the desperate need to want to live a longer healthy life, to have a child live a long life, well past the normal human life expectancy but they had no way to fund it all.

"So that's why she wanted my data on my implants since she couldn't afford to recreate what I had accomplished?" Miranda asks.

"That's correct Ms. Lawson. She became desperate even though our daughter was alive. It became worse after the illusive man died and Schneider became the new head of Cerberus, he went to her and asked if she could continue on with her research and create this serum to inject and indoctrinate Shepard. He waved credits in her face and said she could have all of your research. Everything you had ever done, that man offered to her and more, knowing it's what she wanted; to be able to live a long life with the only thing that meant anything to her in the end, our only surviving child, Kelly."

"Wait so your saying you know how she made up whatever this serum is and if what you are saying is true and this 'machine' can help her what side effects if any are there?" Lawson asks

"Nothing negative that I've noticed from my daughter." Riley answers as he picks up his child that had been hiding behind him for most of the conversation. "Kelly I'd like you to meet the people responsible for getting rid of the monsters." He says to the scared child in a tender voice.

"Hello, I'm Kelly. What's your name?" The little girls finally asks in a low soft voice.

"Kelly, I'm Miranda it's nice to meet you." Lawson says to the child. Turning her attention to her father she continues. "She's remarkably well versed and seems to be advanced for her age."

"Yes she ..."

"Yeah great, the kid can walk and talk better than most people I know... so what?.. Can we get this over with?" The overly agitated Jack says to the group. When asked what her problem was she continues. "Didn't the dead guy who shot at us tell you his friends were coming for him? I don't know about any of you but I'd rather not be in here when any well placed grenade or rocket could collapse this entire place."

* * *

Even though she was on the shuttle a safe distance away from everything Liara could still hear the gunshots from the turret and wanted to assist her friends. Not wanting to succumb to anyone's wrath, Cortez makes it clear that she is his responsibility and would answer to everyone if she got hurt.

Liara concedes to the human pilots wishes and waits with Shepard who is currently asleep. After receiving the all-clear from Williams and she sees Garrus come to get her she lets out a deep sigh of relief. They begin to descend into the bunker where there could quite possibly be a permanent cure for her bondmate and Liara's nerves begin to unravel the closer she gets to the door until a she feels a hand on her shoulder. Turning to see Garrus give her a nod of encouragement that this would work she takes another deep breath and walks through the door, not entirety sure what to expect.

"Doctor T'Soni it's so nice to meet you." Riley is the first to say anything to the nervous looking Asari. "I'm am Steven Riley and I'm sure you're anxious to get started so if you could please bring her here."

"It's alright Liara." Garrus says from behind her when he notices the Asari hesitating. "He's here to help and if not I'll finish what I started at the hospital." The Turian looks at the nervous human male, referring to when he grabbed the man by his throat.

"We only have a short time before this finishes but we must be mindful of energy conservation." Riley says. "We are only running on solar power and currently on backup battery life and as im sure you witnessed, there isn't much sun."

"What will happen if the power fails?" Liara begins to ask but stops since the expression on the human's face in front of her is enough. "How long until she is awake?"

"Not long but like I said we must be..."

Before he could finish, the two Alliance soldiers that Williams had ordered to watch the entrance, barge into the room as gunfire erupts down the hallway. Williams can hear Cortez yelling over the comm about ships landing and the blue suns getting off in droves. Brock had taken a shot to his arm after his shield went down but Darian seems to be unharmed and was tending to him.

"I fucking told you to hurry up!" Jack says immediately moving to protect the child.

"Not now Jack! Riley how long until your finished and is there a back way out of here?" Williams asks as she fires her SMG at the merc group. She could see the worry in Liara's features as soon as the shooting started but the Asari continues to focus on setting up for the procedure. Knowing this would delay or even prevent their ability to cure Shepard she quickly follows the humans instructions so they can begin.

"Please bring my daughter back there and lock the door!" The ex alliance officer tells Jack pointing to a room in the back with a large door. He needs to know his daughter is safe so he can concentrate.

"The back entrance is blocked and we can't rush this or she'll never wake up!" He answers Williams while he continues to attach leads while directing Liara and Tali on what to do. "I can reactivate the proximity mines and close the blast door and it will give us the time we need...but the explosions may damage the equipment or knock out the power."

As Williams and Garrus continue to pick off any Merc who was stupid enough to show themselves, the Human Spectre begins to go over what their options are. Closing the blast door isn't the best idea since it would allow their enemies to move in closer if they could get past the mines but all it would take is a...

"Grenade!" Garrus screams, pushing Williams back as it goes off a few feet from where they had been standing. It wasn't close enough to kill anyone but shrapnel still hit the Turians shield.

"Activate the mines and close the doors now!" Williams orders.

"No! I haven't come this far to fail now. If the equipment stops working or the power goes out it will kill her!"

"Liara we have to do something, if they keep throwing grenades it won't matter."

"And if you allow them to come down here then nothing I've done will matter and I won't allow it!" The Asari says while flaring her biotics as she moves towards Ashley. "I've come too far and sacrificed too much for this to end now with her dying because you can't do your job and hold them off!" She yells at the human, walking past her to the entrance completely engulfed in dark energy and releasing a warp that catches four mercenaries who were trying to come down the stair-well with enough force that they are pushed back through the air. They could hear Cortez on the comm say something about four guys flying about fifty feet back until they hit a building. The Alliance pilot went on to say that apparently the remaining forces were hesitant on going anywhere near the entrance for the time being.

Turning to face the shocked human Commander the Asari leans in to gain Williams complete attention "You have weapons and people at your disposal, people with biotics, the Normandy with its calibrated guns...use them."

Not exactly sure what had just happened the Human Spectre was stunned into silence at the power the Asari had just demonstrated. Not only with her biotics but her demeanor as well and it took Jack yelling at her to get her attention.

"Incoming!" Another explosion hits closer as Garrus begins to fire along with Miranda who moves into Williams position. Ashley can only focus on what Liara had just said to her and is in disbelief because of it. She can hear Riley say they only have a few more moments and then asks about the energy level and someone saying something about EDI getting injured in the last blast and isn't responsive but that didn't matter, Liara crossed a line.

"How can you say that about friends of yours who went out of their way to help you. They aren't disposable assets I can just send to their death..."

"Why can't you? Wasn't it you that told the Commander that we aliens should be compared to human pets and when necessary the dogs should be sent to save the almighty humans?"

"Liara that's not..."

"Need I remind you..." Liara quickly turns around from the monitor she is looking at and swiftly walks back towards Ashely..." that you are a Spectre who was put in the position you are today because of the person you are about to fail to protect. Do I have to remind you about the decisions you have to make, tough decisions that go along with the position you are in? Decisions that kept you alive on Virmire!" The Asari' voice continues to get louder as she moves closer to the human, her entire body glowing. "Decisions that can put you in the position of possibly sacrificing yourself or your crew so that the many may live. Do I need to inform you about what the role of a Spectre and an Alliance officer is? Because if I do then your right, you don't deserve it." Liara is furious and didn't care if they were in the middle of a firefight or not, she felt like she did while on the crucible and walking towards the two Cerberus doctors. Liara is tired of all the indecision and feels if it continues then her bondmate would die. Liara wasn't going to hurt Ashley but Williams needs to hear this. "She saved everyone in this room; what have you done?"

Before anything else could be said Joker comes over the Comm and tells them to take cover. He had been a safe distance away and when EDI informed him of the Merc group ambushing them he immediately began to prep the ship for take-off. The only problem was there wasn't a full crew even though it isn't a necessity with EDI's help but it delayed the process a little longer.

"Joker you have to look for our coordinates..." Garrus yells into the Comm link. "...one wrong shot and you could collapse where we are at! Joker? Dammit I can't reach him. EDI, see if you can't..."

An explosion rumbles overhead and shakes everything around them, causing pieces of the ceiling to crack, allowing the earth above to begin to fall in. Supports and walls begin to collapse as everyone braces for the possible cave-in.

In an instant every memory Liara has of her and the Commader goes through her thoughts. Everything they had ever done together replays in her mind as the room she's in continues to crumble around her, threatening to kill everyone there. And at this moment she wonders when their lives would turn around for the better or are they forced to die here and now.

After what feels like an eternity someone's voice screams throught the comm. "Joker you have to watch your fire! This entire place is coming down on us!"

"Shit, roger that!"

After a moment everything seems to calm down and Joker comes back on the line.

"Sorry it took so long but I was busy but I took care of your little problem."

"Its about fuc... fracking time." Jack corrects herself since she is carrying the child.

"Jack? Wow the Alliance has you trained well. First hair, then clothes, no cursing...next thing we know you'll start baking cookies for us and become little miss homemaker."

"If you know what's good for you, you'll shut up."

As the Normandy's pilot and Jack bicker back and forth Liara, who had moved herself on top of Shepard to try and protect her lover from anything that fell begins to stand up. The lights had turned off and it is dificult to see but she soon feels a hand gently squeezing hers. After she quickly looks around to see who it could have been another hand is placed on the back of her crest and she is pulled in for a kiss.

A kiss that can only mean one thing; that what they did worked and Shepard is alright. It's a kiss that has brought closure to their past life. A life that has seen death and destruction around every corner. A life together and apart, that has had its good and bad moments. It's a life that has brought them to this moment before...a moment of feeling safe and secure only to have it all swept away and they were forced to start over.

This time is different though...what had just transpired was nothing short of a miracle and made it a guarantee that they'd be together for centuries to come.

This is something they both can feel with everything that they are, that this moment is the start to their new life. And as the kiss deepens and a meld begins they both know that in this moment they will always be together and they'd always be each other's home.


	13. Humanoid

**A/N: Bioware owns all and thanks again for the support.**

* * *

Chevelle

**Humanoid**

Try accepting this

Why not face today?

Forever one to crawl out

Fade out next to lazy

End it all within

If only the crying could heal

I'd sell my left arm to buy passion

If only apologies worked

Well I could find some reasons

Why maybe you wouldn't be so ill

Sorry your souls, so fucking shallow

its creeping outside, outside of its hole

its trying to see it, say it, fake this...REALITY

* * *

The silence in the Asari councilors room is deafening. It has only been a short amount of time since Aethyta had left but the two remaining Asari have been going over the words she had said. They both owed Shepard and Liara for everything they had done in one way or another. They both were the reason there was a council left standing after the Reapers were defeated as well as a place to call home in Omega. Even if they didn't, this is a time to rebuild and make sure their people, their race has a future.

Tevos took the words to heart, and it made her think back to when everything had been taken away from her; a time when the Goddess took her little ones too early. A parent isn't supposed to outlive their child but she is someone who lost two and for a while she could barely hold it together. She wondered how she was ever able to forgive Aria for allowing her past to catch up with her and affect their home life but the Omega ruler helped her get through those dark times. Then when Liara was nearly taken for the same reasons, because of who Aria was, she didn't blame Benezia for dismissing them all. She had hoped Aethyta would be allowed back into her life and even spoke to Benezia about it but the elder Asari had been too upset and felt betrayed by her own bondmate to even look in her direction much less allow Aethyta into her and Liara's life for covering up Aria'a discretion.

By the time Aethyta finally grew a quad and was about to ask to be able to see Liara, a century had nearly passed and Benezia had already aligned herself with Saren. It wouldn't have mattered anyway because Liara had left decades before and even though Aethyta tried to keep an eye out for her, Liara had a tendency to make herself disappear from the eyes of the galaxy. Liara wanted nothing to do with the path her mother tried to choose for her, so when she left, the young Asari Maiden made it a point to be as far away from that life as possible.

Tevos tried to keep tabs on the young archeologist for Aethyta but as the councilors career grew and Aethyta became more distant and took on her new role as a spy for the elder matriarchs they drifted further apart. Now that they were working together again there was a chance to rebuild their friendship but with the back door dealings and the corruption Tevos found herself apart of she doubted the relationship they did have would survive, if Aethyta's more recent rant and subsequent departure were any indication. Especially if the elder Matriarch were to find out the true reasoning behind the councilor asking Liara to join the Asari government.

Tevos had met with Liara on Earth and was sincere when she asked the young maiden to become a leader for her people. Someone who was known on a galactic level, that her efforts during the war saved countless lives and she could be someone the Asari people could trust. That trust was counted on in order for what the surviving Matriarchs and in turn the Asari government had planed to work.

With the state of the galaxies finances in disarray, especially on Thessia, the elder Asari leaders knew they could use the confusion to their advantage. They decided to implement certain stipulations to Asari law that stated if a family had been killed and there were no direct family members left then the estate would be divided amongst the surviving Asari leaders. It allowed the remaining Matriarch's to regain some of the credits they spared in order to guarantee their safety and survival during the war.

There were some on Thessia that secretly listened to what Shepard had to say since the beginning. After each meeting Tevos would report everything that had been discussed to the Matriarchs on Thessia. They wanted to see if they could use any of the information the other councilors disclosed in the meetings in order to call upon possible future favors down the road, mainly blackmail. The meetings with the first human Spectre were no different and hearing about the possibility of a race of sentient beings coming to rid the galaxy of all organics unnerved some of the Matriarchs.

They had been blessed with a long illustrious life and wanted it to stay that way, so they tasked a group of Salarian and Human engineers to construct underground bunkers that spread out across the galaxy. After everything was completed the plans were destroyed and the engineers and workers on the project were eliminated in one fashion or the other. In order to not draw too much attention to the disappearances the same workers were used in each project so a few dozen accidental deaths wouldn't be questioned as much as a few hundred would.

They had their protection to ensure their future but in the end it all came down to a misunderstanding of just how powerful the Reapers were and three quarters of the bunkers that were built were destroyed. Each of them were holding hundreds of prestigious family members and by the time it was all over with there where thousands dead and entire family names erased due to an engineering flaw. No one knew the sheer magnitude or the raw power these killing machines brought about. For the most part the bunkers held up to the onslaught but that was only on planets that weren't heavily bombarded.

The remaining Asari that survived who had hid during the war were grateful to be alive and needed to make sure their legacy remained. They wanted to make sure Tevos made it certain that the bunkers they had built were to remain a secret as well as keeping the current monetary system in place. If it didn't Tevos was to make sure the money that a family did have would carry over to the new system that was created and eventually they'd put their laws in place that would increase their wealth. With this corruption came the possibility of being under more scrutiny and regulations would be put in place before the remaining Asari leaders could act so they tasked Tevos with getting a distraction, and who better than the saviors of the galaxy in Liara T'Soni and her bondmate Kerry Shepard.

With the two of them guiding the Asari into the future, everyone would be too consumed with what they were doing to notice the Matriarchs plans. The only problem was that Tevos was reluctant to ask Liara on false pretenses and initially refused but when her relationship with Aria was going to be made public and her career ruined, she reluctantly agreed. She had been thinking of the best way to ask the young Asari and was trying convince herself that this was best for everyone and no one would get hurt when they met on Earth. That thought process ended when she came face to face with Liara for the first time since she was a baby, being held by her mother.

When she looked at the young Asari she found herself hesitating on a few separate occasions, as Liara was a perfect combination of her former friends. Tevos was brought back to her past, when everything was good between them. When they asked her and Aria to be there for Liara's birth and become her _Matrina _or protector, she was beyond honored, it meant being a part of one of the strongest families in Asari history.

They only ever saw her a few times after that, before Benezia cast them all out so seeing that Liara had grown into a beautiful and successful young Maiden made her smile but at the same time it saddened the Councilor to know she missed out on so much joy when she lost her own children.

Their first child had been taken away from them when it was only a baby and both Tevos and Aria could barely hold it together. So when Liselle was born they kept it a secret and she was able to grow up but Aria refused to let her off of Omega and it was their child's undoing.

All of the Councilors thoughts raced through her mind in an instant with how she failed to protect her children as soon as Liara opened the door. The thought of not protecting Liara made it impossible for her to even ask the young Asari to become a leader but she knew that the archeologist could actually help. She was sincere when she asked the question and was about to admit what was actually happening and didn't care about the consequences, she'd deal with her superiors somehow, Liara was needed, but the young Maiden was furious with everything that had transpired in the past to even want to listen to the Councilor.

When she was asked to step down by Liara it hurt but she knew the reasoning behind it. The council and even the Asari leaders on Thessia were less then helpful when it came down to listening about the Reapers. Even those that did secretly believe what was said about the upcoming harvest never publically admitted it. They even went as far as not informing the Asari councilor about the bunkers they had built, even after she brought them the information.

Tevos constantly found herself wondering why she continued to follow their words when they only looked out for themselves and nearly got her killed on more than one occasion. Even now the Asari councilor is taking all of the blame for the fall of Thessia while the other Martiarchs come up with schemes on how to stay rich and relevant. She could see the merit behind Liara's frustrations and reasoning for the answer she gave with everything that had happened. Tevos wanted to tell the Asari Maiden about everything, all of the deception, as well as what Liara and Shepard's role was supposed to be in all of this.

They were going to be a distraction so everything could be carried out but before anything could be said, Shepard woke up screaming and they found themselves kidnapped by Cerberus. Everything happened so quickly that Tevos never found the right time to ask for help, knowing Liara and Shepard were the only ones who could. She needed an investigation done and dirt dug up on the Asari elders so she could save face as much as she could. That was before Shepard and Liara went into hiding and apparently the commander is now sick so their help isn't an option. That was the main reasoning behind her meeting with Aria, so they could figure out how the councilor could get out from under the mess she found herself in without being arrested.

They wanted to ask Aethyta but as soon as the Matriarch entered her office they both realized that it wasn't a good time to ask if she could help get an ex-friend out of trouble. Aethyta was right in one aspect when she said it was a private meeting she had interrupted but it wasn't what she thought it was. They were trying to figure out a way to put pressure on the surviving Matriarch leaders and they were discussing how they could maneuver the spot light away from the councilor and towards the' old bitches on the hill', as Aethyta had so eloquently put it. They had hoped it would give cause for everyone in the galaxy to look more closely at what the Asari leaders were doing even though Aria was apart of some of the scandal.

The Queen of Omega had been sending equipment and personnel to Thessia as well as other Asari planets to help and she was being compensated tremendously for it. Tevos used the funds that the Matriarchs wanted for themselves to pay Aria so she could help fix up Omega and continue to send aid. They both figured that the other Matriarchs weren't going to use it after they were arrested but she only hoped her and the Councilor weren't caught up in the investigation. It was aggravating the Omega Queen to no end that she gave a shit at all about any of it and she was trying to figure out what the reasoning was for the change in her demeanor.

Usually Aria only cared about herself and her one rule but when she saw Aethyta the month prior on the Alliance vessel, thinking Tevos was dead, it brought back memories she thought she buried a long time ago. She tried to continue her non-caring persona but when Aethyta told her Tevos, Shepard and Liara weren't dead she became relieved. It took everything the Asari had not to show it but Aria knew that her old friend had seen the crack in her resolve but Aethyta didn't care. The Matriarch was just there to get her daughter back and everything else was secondary and Aria knew if she got in Aethyta's way or she was only there to help rescue Tevos or want credits, and then leave it would not be pretty.

The rescue went off without a hitch all be it a little disappointing. She still had a bone to pick with Cerberus for taking her station and was hoping for more of a fight but the small remaining force the human hate group had was less than sufficient for even a small fight. By the time they even got to a position to even help, Shepard had already started the fun.

Aria liked Shepard, mainly because the human was different. She was caring and compassionate but had a renegade streak that was only matched by Aria's. She first witnessed it while watching vids of the Commander destroying the Vorcha while trying to stop the plague that was affecting the aliens as well as when she was recruiting Mordin Solus and Archangel. The Omega Queen was impressed at the violent streak the human had and at the time of the rescue mission wished Williams had it as well.

The second human Spectre was the exact opposite of her predecessor, slow and methodical. She wanted to come up with a strategy for everything and moved slower than an Elcor. By the time they reached the fight on the Citadel, her and the human biotic Jack had so much pent up frustration that their first wave of Biotics nearly wiped out half of the Cerberus soldiers.

The remaining battle was quick and uneventful with the exception of seeing Liara walk through the middle of a firefight to go after the two people responsible for her and her lovers plight without regard for herself. It brought Aria back to when Nyreen died and the Omega Queen tried to single handedly attack Petrovsky. She was set on revenge, became sloppy and Shepard had to save her, so Aria recognized the look Liara had while she was walking toward her targets and became relieved when Aethyta stopped her from getting hurt or worse.

By the time everything was finished all of Cerberus was dead and the three they came to rescue were alive. In the end when Aria looked at Liara tending to Shepard, and began to feel emotions she never thought she'd ever allow herself to feel again; relief for someone else. Relief that the two lovers were reunited once more and they deserved everything good to come to them in the future. That relief turned into remorse when she looked at Tevos. Remorse for everything she had ever done wrong to cause her pain and guilt for being the cause of her greatest pain, loosing their children.

For a moment she began to question everything she had ever done in order to get where she was after the mission on the Citadel was over. For the first time ever she questioned whether or not the life she fought for was a blessing. A blessing to be the leader of Omega and do whatever she wanted whenever, or was all of this a curse? Was she supposed to suffer on this rock and rot for the rest of her days? And was there an enemy waiting in the shadows of the galaxy that would take her thrown from her, only to keep her in check like Aria does with Patriarch? Was her future worse then death, forced to tell stories of her glorious past battles and conquests and have everyone look upon her with pity?

After some time had passed and she continued to feel this way, she could only surmise that she was suffering from some illness and everything she was feeling was probably brought on by hanging out with Shepard the girl scout too long. So in other words fuck that she was Aria, the Queen of Omega and no one was going to sentence her to a life of embarrassment and she certainly wasn't going to feel bad for most of the shit she did in her past, she'd much rather a bullet in the head.

Now though, there was another irritating thought that was festering in her brain and she couldn't scratch at it or get rid of it. Her thought kept telling her that she needed to do something and she would gain nothing from it in the end; something was telling her that she needs to help others. It was nauseating yet the biggest problem was the voice telling her to do this sounded an awful lot like Aethyta and it was annoying as shit. Telling her over and over that she owed Shepard and Aria hated to admit it but the old crone was right.

In the end it only took that irritating human Spectre to pull everyone together and ensure there was a home for her and the rest of the Omega residents to go back to. If she failed at destroying the Reapers then none of it would have mattered and even though Aria did give her assets for the war, Shepard's legacy needs to continue on as a united galaxy.

Shaking her head as she gets up after disconnecting her vid call with Tevos so she could get ready for her next meeting Aria laughs a little at Aethyta's sense of humor and temper. It was always something she liked about the elder Asari and even though she had her reputation she secretly longed for the friendship they once had and hoped it could be fixed one day.

Nearly laughing at her continued thoughts that were...good...she hears a beep from her Omni tool letting her know there was someone waiting for her. She was hoping for a quick meeting since she was planning a trip to Thessia to see Tevos, yet another thought that made her happy until she opened the door to her office overlooking Afterlife. She was not looking forward to speaking to her visitor at all but she made her bed and had to lie in it.

"Jona Sederis...how ever did you survive the war?" Aria says in mocking tone. "Please sit...there is much to discuss."

* * *

"Councilor Tevos we have an urgent message from Matriarch Aethyta!" The councilors assistant calls over the intercom, out of breath and obviously upset about something.

"Aethyta?..patch her through." Tevos responds, a little perplexed at what could be this urgent. She had just disconnected from Aria and is anticipating the omega queens arrival so she hopes whatever the Matriarch needs won't ruin her good mood. As the Matriarchs holo comes into view she can see and hear what has caused the Matriarch to contact her as an explosion goes off in the background.

"I don't know what kind of deal you have with Aria but she needs to call off the eclipse sisters. They just flew in and attacked us...we're holding them off but I sure as hell hope what you have with Aria was worth it. After I'm done dealing with them your bondmate is next!"

"Aria no longer controls the Eclipse. It must be Sederis!"

"I don't care if its Athame herself controlling them, we need help now!"

x

x

X

X

"Admiral Raan I thought you were bringing Admiral Zorah so we could discuss what happened on the Quib Quib?"

"Discuss or interrogate?!" The elder Quarian Admiral snaps back at her counterpart. Raan is furious with how the other Admrials were handling the situation. It reminds her of the time when they brought the young Quarian up on charges for treason for sending active geth parts back to the fleet. Raan knew that Tali would never deliberately send parts back and suspected her father of creating the mess that happened on the Aleri. It is turning into another demon hunt and she refuses to be apart of it. Tali is hurting and even if Shepard helped her, the young Quarian has to live with this tragedy for the rest of her days. She will not allow her niece to be subjected to false persecution because the other Admirals believe they may lose a seat on the council because of this. Raan is tired of all of the politics that her people have gotten into over the years and wishes things would change since the war was over between her people and the Geth, so they can now focus on Ranoch.

Dreams and wishes are all they are and she can only hope they come true but the reality of it all is it will never happen if the Quarian people both young and old are stuck in the beliefs of their ancestors. So she left Tali in the capable hands of the Alliance. She knew going back without the younger Admiral was against her orders and would get her in trouble but she'd rather take the brunt and have Shepard look over her niece then subject her last remaining family member to a trial, she's suffered enough.

"This is exactly the type of attitude that we as a people can no longer afford. We finally have the respect of the galaxy and when this incident gets out and we have done nothing to investigate the matter we will lose our seat on the council!" Admiral Han'Gerrel yells at his counterpart. He had always been a bitter pain in the ass and became worse when he lost his ship to Zaal'Koris but he was still apart of the board and an Admiral, pending his hearing.

Ever since he attacked the Geth dreadnought while Shepard and her crew were still on onboard, Han'Gerrel had been forced to sit out the remainder of the war but still held his title and position on the board. The Admirals had punished him by taking away his ship and relegating him to administrative duty. He was supposed to be removed permanently baring a hearing but with the war between them and the Geth and then the Reapers, finding someone to replace him has been difficult. Due to this fact and his past service record he had been given reprieve and his exile was put on hold, so ever since the war ended and his people had been paramount in stopping the threat Gerrel has been pushing for a seat on the council.

He felt this recent disaster would complicate the possibility of him becoming the Quarian councilor and had demanded Raan bring back Tali to question her about what had happened. Even if it wasn't the young Quarian Admirals fault, which he didn think it was, the council, especially the humans will want answers and this incident needs to be looked into.

"Admiral Gerrel, Admiral Zorah is still recovering from the tragedy. And as I'm sure you can realize she is under a tremendous amount of stress and is no condition to travel. She is currently under the care of the capable hands of the human doctor on the Normandy. If you wish to continue with your questions you will have to travel and meet up with the Alliance vessel and Commander Shepard."

Hearing the human Commanders name causes Gerrel to become enraged but he keeps his resolve amongst his fellow Admirals. He hated her for getting him dismissed and for embarrassing him in front of entire room of people when she hit him. He felt Hackett should have removed her from her command for striking a senior officer; different race or not he was an Admiral.

"That won't be necessary, Admiral Raan. Your report will have to suffice until Admiral Zorah is well enough to return to Ranoch." The Quarian Admiral says, contempt oozing with each word spoken. He has been at odds with the Human Spectre since Tali's trial and he certainly doesn't want to deal with her now, he has a council seat to win.

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Having the use of the port observation deck on her old ship gives the first human Spectre a sense of being safe. Since most of the crew was on shore leave, Williams had granted them the use of it so they have privacy and much needed rest. Shepard sits on the couch in the room looking out at the stars racing by with her sleeping bondmates head on her lap. She thinks back to everything that has happened over the course of her short life. From her family to her most recent run-in with Cerberus, it all had one thing that brought it all together, death. Now though, all she can do is smile because she knows that everything she has ever had to endure, all of the heartache she has had to deal with will be replaced with happier memories as long as she has the Asari in her life. Watching her lover sleep, the Commander can't help but run her hand along her lovers crest enjoying each touch, eliciting a slight purring noise each time she does it.

Liara has been her rock, the reason she pushed herself so hard to be successful in defeating Saren, Soveriegn, the Collectors and the Reapers. Everyone needs someone or something to fight for, a reason to come back and Liara was that reason and the human owed her everything; who else would have recovered their lovers body and do everything in their power to ensure they'd comeback to them? Who else would put up with her childish behavior and still want to be with her and raise a family?

Family; it's a word she hadn't had the privilege of using in a long time. A word she didn't want to use since it reminded her too much of her sister and her parents, but now with her crew, her soon to be bondmate and child, it's a word she can now say and it brings about good feelings of what the future may hold.

Not knowing if she can smile anymore since her face is already hurting from it she continues to gently run her hands over her lovers smooth skin. Feeling the dips and swells of the contours of her body sends a slight shiver through her but Liara is exhausted from it all and needs to sleep.

Shepard could tell that her bondmate hadn't slept in days especially with how she nearly collapsed after this last mission was over. The Asari's emotions were everywhere; tears of joy fell for her lover being cured that turned to her sobbing from all the relieved stress that everything was finally over. Her cries turned to laughter at the joy she felt because they are to be together for eternity. Her emotions as well as the last few days finally took its toll and she collapsed while hugging her bondmate. Shepard carried her exhausted Asari to the port observation deck where the Commander now sits contemplating her future.

Now the question that remains is what does their future hold for them? Would she stay in the Alliance and keep her Spectre status, continue to help the less fortunate and assist in the rebuilding process or would she allow the next generation to step up and take over, and continue-on what she has created? Then there is still the possibility of her becoming the next human councilor but she doubted she'd be appointed. With all the news of her being the reason the Collectors and eventually the Reapers came after Humans in general she doubts the rest of the councilors would want to be associated with her; a Spectre yes, they could control her to a point but being an equal would be frowned upon. She knows it is a difficult decision to make but no matter the path taken it has to be in the best interests of her wife and child, not just her or the galaxy.

She laughs a little at the uncertainty that she faces in regards to making this decision, normally it was easy. On the battlefield, being on a mission she'd make decisions in an instant and not think twice and even if she had a chance to think about it for a short time it was easier than the predicament she is currently in. She can see how difficult of a time Liara had but once her sleeping blue angel wakes up they can at least talk about what's best for all of them and whether or not Shepard should continue with her career now that she is healthy. Miranda had informed the Commander about her recommendations for a medical discharge because of her heart but now that's no longer an issue.

Riley told the Commander that since the procedure was a success that every ailment she had, was gone. Her heart was fixed as well as any damage left over from the war and the serum that had been poisoning her was completely erased from her system. Shepard told Chakwas, she felt like a new person, and that statement wasn't far from the truth. She did feel that way and even though the Commander was worried about her new and improved health and what it all meant Riley had reassured her multiple times that she had nothing to worry about, ever.

Williams had agreed to transport the Cerberus operative and his child to Horizon and not arrest him but this arrangement only happened if he agreed to being monitored at a constant. Since he was on the Normandy he spoke with Shepard and told her how it all worked and that it was basically a new and improved form of nanites in her system now and along with the cybernetic implants she already has, she would have the regenerative properties and life expectancy of a Krogan without the worry of even getting the common cold.

That was the short and simple version and there was a lot of other information Mr. Riley had discussed with her but the only question she had was whether or not she was better and would this affect what Miranda had done? Yes she is better and no it wouldn't, only improve upon it, were the answers Riley gave to her. He continued to keep her, Liara and Miranda optimistic about the entire process and gave all of his information he has on the project to Miranda. The ex-Cerberus doctor informed her on what to look for as far as what is normal or not when Lawson took blood samples but told her not to expect anything out of the ordinary.

To make sure everything Riley said was true, Shepard had Tali save the data in order to look further into curing diseases in all races, such as boosting Quarian immune systems and riding the Drell of having to deal with Keprel syndrome. It was a difficult decision to make due to the fact that if this ability to cure all illnesses and heal someone instantly were to end up in the wrong persons hands then someone could build a nearly indestructible army. There is already a Merc group that knew about it, considering they were just in a firefight and that had been their main objective. Data pads were found on the one of the dead mercenaries that said to get information on the procedure no matter what so a choice needed to be made.

Once again Shepard had found herself having to make a decision to save this new found information like saving Maelons data, saving the Racni Queen or rewriting the heretics. She found herself making a choice that could have consequences, good and bad in the near to distant future. The choice she made before this was what to do with the Citadel after Admiral Hackett had asked her input. It had been the pinnacle of the galaxy for centuries and been a beacon of peace but the more recent memories were filled with death. If not for the Normandy crew then the station thought to stand for good and be the central government would have been the cause of galactic genocide.

The Commander had told Hackett in a message when she first woke up on Inselai, to move it to a remote location and continue to study how the Crucible worked and she'd give him her final answer soon. In truth she wanted nothing to do with the weapon or the Citadel and it aggravated her to no end that either she or her heir were the only ones to be able to use the weapon. All it meant for her and her future generations is that they would be involved in any conflict that required the super weapon. Still though it had been home to millions of people and before the Reapers took it over, had been a place where anyone could go to and try to escape the war.

Shepard knew she was still being paranoid for the most part and she even went as far as telling Liara that she thought all of the Relays should be shut down, fearing there were more Reapers out in deep space. She still didn't believe that the Leviathans weren't a threat even if the Crucible had killed them somehow and implored Hackett to find a way to push them through the Omega 4 relay and then shut it down.

She was finally able to calm her mind down enough when one thought blocked out all others. When this memory came to her it made her see that all of her decisions over the course of the war were ultimately correct. It is the one thing that continued to come up and let her know she was doing something right. That was the decision to go to Therum and rescue the enchanting Asari who is beginning to wake up. Her beautiful Diamond Eyes open and it makes the Commanders heart flutter, as it always done.

"Hey, sorry if I woke you." Kerry smiles down at her lover.

"It's okay, I wanted to wake up anyway. Have you been sitting here watching me sleep this whole time?" Liara leans up to kiss her Human, enjoying the fact that her bondmate looks better.

"I have..." She says as she tries to hold back another smile to no avail..."and I know its a little creepy I guess but I've been thinking about the choices I've had to make and how they have affected us and how they will affect us now. More importantly I was thinking about the choices we have to think about and what we are going to do."

"And, what have you come up with." Liara asks a little tentatively. The Asari is hoping shed wasn't out of line with what she had said to Hackett as far as Shepard retiring from the Alliance and her not so secret hope is that Kerry would want to leave it all behind. Liara knew it isn't the most rational choice since Shepard had been in the military for so long. No matter the choice made Liara hopes to be alone with her lover even for a short time before the galaxy calls upon her once again.

"And..." Shepard repeats the word and the kiss. "I've decided that I'm tired of making choices, its all I've been doing." She says with relief in her voice..."life or death decisions that will affect our lives but I don't have to right now. There is no mission or war to pull me away and even if something comes up there are others that can handle it...So for now...baring another galactic war..." She pauses to kiss her lover again..."it's me"...another kiss as her hand makes its way down across Liara's chest, the Asari arching her body up into the touch..."you"...her hand moving further down to the swell of Liara's stomach while her tongue glides into her Asari's mouth..."the baby"...slender fingers slide under the waist band of Liara's sweats, finding her opening already wet and waiting..."and wherever home is."

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"Admiral Hackett, we have emergency reports coming in from Thessia, Palaven and Horizon." Hackett's new assistant reports to him in his office aboard his ship.

Looking up and expecting Chief Harris, the elder Alliance officer frowns a little when he remembers the death of his old friend. "Yes Chief, what's the sit-rep?"

"Not good sir, reports are coming in that each planet has been attacked by different mercenary groups. It seems these attacks were coordinated though, they all happened at the same time."

"Get me the other councilors and the Normandy now!" The human councilor had been anticipating a call like this but not from three different planets in three different systems. With how decimated everyone's military still is he can only hope that they are able to hold off the attackers until help arrives.


	14. The Negative One

**A/N; Hope everyone had a great holiday season. Longer delay than I wanted but RL has a tendency to kick you when your down.**

**#ForAdam**

**Slipknot**

'The Negative One'

I hope you live

to see the day

when your world comes up in flames

And as you die...you see my face

You're the only one to blame

* * *

An alert sounds on Ashely's Omni-tool letting her know she has a message. Checking it and seeing it's from Hackett, she is shocked to learn about the multiple attacks on the different worlds. From what the reports are saying it had been a combined effort by different mercenary groups that have apparently joined together and decided that now would be the perfect time to strike. This only brings up more questions by Williams, like whether or not the firefight the Normandy crew just went through was apart of it or were they just after the research and technology that had cured Shepard? The main worry is if the galaxy can handle more attacks. Each of the planets defenses are dwindled but Ash can not think of a single thing these Merc groups could possibly be after.

Even though the attacks came without warning the reports that continue to come to the Spectre's terminal all state one thing; the fighting started out of nowhere and just as quickly, it ended. Discussing her theories as to why this had happened with the Alliance Admiral helped shine some light on everything but there is still much to go over. The one draw back with talking with the newly appointed human Councilor is now he has ordered her to ask Shepard to help.

Normally Ash would have just knocked and waited for permission to enter the room but Liara was in there and the Asari is not someone she wants to see right now. She took their last conversation to heart when her friend, the Asari Maiden, basically told her to grow a pair and actually become a leader; that she had yet to make the tough decisions in battle unlike Shepard. That the only reason Williams is even still alive is because of the decisions the first human Spectre had to make, mainly Virmire.

There is more that had been said but Liara basically repeated what Ashely had been thinking; she wasn't cut out to be a Spectre. That Udina only persuaded her to join as well as convince the other council members that she was the best choice because Shepard was a loose cannon and may still have ties to Cerberus. Plus the war had been going on and everyone's worlds were being decimated so it would be easy to nominate her with the distraction of the war as well as convince the council they needed more protection.

Even if she was selected because she deserved it, seeing Kaiden's parents did not help her thought process when it came to her doubting everything. Her family tried to be there for her but that is what family is supposed to do. Since Udina is dead and can't be asked why he nominated her it's much easier to doubt everything and come up with these outlandish theories. Williams knows what she is doing is not helping her or anyone else and no matter what she still has a job to do.

Shaking her head to get the self-doubting thoughts out as she makes her way from the war room to where Shepard is she wonders if she should ask Kerry about it. The Commander has always been straight forward with everyone but they have a situation to handle now and it may not be the time. Trying to focus more on the task at hand she wonders what she should even say to the skipper and more importantly, Liara. Should she even bother to ask either of them to help with this situation or just mention it in passing and see what the comander says?

Shepard just got better and should be able and willing to help. It had been the whole reason for them living in seclusion in the first place. At the same time there is the baby Liara is going to have in a few months and she knew they both wanted to wait until their daughter is born before either of them made a decision. Plus the fact that Liara was right, Shepard had done her job, saved the galaxy many times over, so it was time for everyone else to step up.

Rather than stand outside the door of the port observation room and dwell on her thoughts she rings the chime and makes her decision. As it opens Ash is surprised when Liara answers and greets her with a smile and a hug, whispering thank you in her ear. Williams is nearly brought to tears when the Asari apologizes for her earlier actions and then asks her next question.

A smile plasters itself on the Humans face and she looks towards her friend and nods, surprised and honored that they would consider her to preside over the ceremony. She's about to ask why they wanted to get married now when the reason for her visit comes back to her.

"Shepard there's been an incident...multiple actually, on multiple planets. I spoke with Hackett and he and the other council members want all Spectres to investigate, you included. Just know it is an order."

After a shared look between the two lovers and a brief explanation by Williams as to what had happened, Kerry begins to give her answer. She wasn't going to get involved but once William's brings up the Asari homeworld, Shepard doesn't hesitate.

"Joker set a course for Thessia!" The Commander nearly yells as she walks out of the room heading towards the lift.

"Shepard, Tevos already has people looking into what happened and Aethyta has everything under control..." Before Shepard can argue Ashley holds her hand up to stop the oncoming yelling and continues. "But I already told all of them we are headed there anyway."

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To see the once beautiful Asari planet turned into a world of ruin is heart breaking for everyone on the Normandy. The magnificent buildings, lush greenery and beautiful oceans are barely recognizable and Shepard can only hope that the Asari home world doesn't suffer the same fate as Earth.

"Goddess Kerry, we never had a chance to really see the devastation before. But now..." Liara can barely finish her sentence as her emotions get the better of her. Feeling strong arms around her allows the Asari to compose herself a little. "Can we ever rebuild?"

Kissing Liara on top of her crest, Shepard reassures her as best as she can. "We will...I promise. I'll do everything in my power to make sure Thessia becomes what it once was...to give you and your people back your homes."

Liara squeezes her lover a little harder, wanting to feel closer to her human that is now completly healed. Liara thanks the Goddess as she feels the rise and fall of Kerry's chest, loving the sound of her heart beating, that now this can be the start of their future. Feeling the warmth of the embrace and how safe the Asari feels, she doesn't want to move. She closes her eyes and imagines what it will be like living with her bondmate and child, in peace. They have a future together for years to come and can finally live s life without fear of galactic annihilation. Liara realizes that it will all be an up hill battle but believes the words spoken to her by her lover. Feeling the truth behind what her human has promised.

If it had been anyone else she may not have given a second thought to what they were saying but this is Kerry Shepard, and she has preformed miracles in the past, many miracles. Liara believes it in her heart, that if anyone could pull it off it'd be the Commander, even if they weren't together, Shepard is her friend and Kerry never leaves a friend behind. Their relationship is way past being friends though and she can feel the love pouring from each word that her human speaks. She knows the Commander would rebuild Thessia just for her if she only asks.

Shepard took it hard when the Asari home world fell, feeling helpless as they watched the once proud and majestic planet be turned into dust. Neither one of them allowed their feelings to get in the way but they both nearly gave up after the failed mission. They were able to lean on each other for support, and that support allowed them to move past the guilt of that failed mission and all the death they witnessed. They pushed past it, using that time as a reason to get mad and fight back even more.

Now though, there's nothing left to get mad at, no more impossible odds or enemies that can destroy the galaxy that they have to stop, only memories. There are mercenaries out there attacking but this is different. To see the aftermath of the Reapers allows everyone to think a little more about what took place. To realize what they could have lost, what they did lose, what they failed at and it was is true for everyone there. The Commander is no different and Liara realizes that Shepard has yet to move past the failed mission with her next statement.

"I know it sounds like an impossible promise but it will happen because I can't fail you again...I won't."

Lifting her head up off of Shepard's chest she places both of her hands on the side of Kerry's face and pulls her in for a kiss so her human can feel the truth in the words she is about to speak. "Shepard never say that...you've never failed me so stop, please. There will be plenty of time to help rebuild but now we worry about the tasks at hand and that is stopping these mercenaries. Okay?"

Receiving a nod and a small smile of apprecitaion they prepare to leave the Normandy and touch down on the Asari planet for the first time since the war.

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She can feel each person she walks past stare at her intently. Some are in awe while others look too fatigued to show any sort of emotion but one thing connects everyone she walks past, relief. No matter anyone's opinion of her, apparently seeing the galaxies savior appears to make everyone feel a little more at ease, just not Shepard.

This is the first time she has been out in public since she saved the galaxy. It's the first time anyone has even seen or heard anything about her in nearly a month. Most had written her off as dying in the crucible blast up until she was watched by billions on the Galactic News Network fighting Cerberus. It was then that everyone from her supporters to her enemies began to demand she come out of hiding and answer questions. Hackett has been continually answering questions about her whereabouts and when she was going to resurface.

That time is now and she's not sure what to do. All eyes are on her and even though everything she has ever been involved in, from saving the galaxy to feeding her fish turns into a huge production, Kerry just wants to be left alone. To live a normal life with her new family and it's because of the fact that everything she does is considered a galactic wide news event that she feels this way. What is normal though and what would be a normal life with regards to Commander Kerry Shepard? She never had time to think about it before but that is the problem; they have the time.

They have the time to do what they want, to live wherever they want but to also think about everything that has happened that Shepard herself has had a direct influence on. As Shepard, Liara and the Normandy crew make their way to Tevos's office, she begins to forget her surroundings and all of the spectators. Focusing only on what her decsions and actions over the course of the war would result in and she begins to realize that Liara may not have been the only one she failed. Feeling a hand grab on to her own she looks to see Liara looking at her with concern. The Asari had been watching her lover since the moment they left the ship, knowing this was the Comanders first appearance.

Seeing her beloved avoid eye contact and eventually quicken her pace, Liara could nearly read her lovers thoughts. Normally they would not be overly affectionate in public but Shepards attetion needed to be focused. Liara figures that all the down time they have had since the war ended has only given each of them time to think. Since they met that fateful day on Therum their lives haven't slowed down.

Now they have the time to think and their own thoughts have been the problem. Even Liara had been thinking the worst to include whether or not Shepard would still want her after the war. It was rediculous notions but the young T'Soni spoke about the validity of their relationship with Aethyta. Not one to give advice without it being of the sexual nature, Liara was pleased with what the Matriarch had to say about Shepard. Aethyta basically told her daughter that the Human nearly gave up, thinking Liara was dead. That Shepard wanted to be with Liara no matter what and that's why she felt so guilty about surviving. It brought Liara back to when she recovered her lovers body and how Liara felt in that moment. In the end her conversation with her father only solidified the relationship they have with each other; not even death could keep them apart.

Now it's a time for recovery and they all need each other more than ever if they are to be successful with coping with what they all went through. Unfortunetly these recent attacks are only a distraction to any after effects that they have to deal with as a result of the war and choices made. As they finally make their way into the Asari Councilors office Liara can see how tired Tevos and her father are and the young Asari knows it will be a long hard process for everyone to include herself, especially with a baby to raise. Looking at her lover she gains strength in the fact that she is not alone in her future but sighs a little since there is once again something in the way. No matter, she is still happy that her sire and her friends are alive. The young Asari freets her father with a hug and after everyone says their pleasantries Shepard begins.

"Councilor Tevos, I'm glad to see you are alright. Spectre Williams gave me a brief run down on other planets but what is the situation here?" Shepard asks the exhausted Asari Matron. "Do we have any idea as to what they were looking for or why they attacked?"

"Why don't you ask the Councilor's bondmate? I'm sure she's full of information on the subject!" Aethyta spats

"Know your place Aethyta!" Tevos screams, slamming her fists down on the desk. Standing quickly to scold the Matriarch more she soon realizes everyone is looking at her due to her outburst. Running her hands down the front of her dress to smooth it out she sits down, still seething at the elder Asari. Aethyta, who is glaring back at her and being lead away by Liara, has been a pain in her side since the Councilor agreed to have her come on as head of security. Constantly questioning everything Tevos orders her to do and even going as far as accusing the Asari councilor of treason. The latter part is semi- true but the constant barrage of the Matriarch questioning her authority finally pushed her over the edge with the last comment.

Tevos figures she might as well come clean now that she has two Spectres attention but these attacks need to be addressed first.

"I apologize for my outburst..." Tevos begins, still glaring at Aethyta. "It has been a trying few days." Turning her attention to Shepard she continues. "It is good to see you up and around Shepard, I hope to see more of you in the near future since you have recovered." The councilor says hopefully. "But to answer your question, no we have yet to acertain who attacked us or why."

Tevos continues to tell everyone in the room what the most recent reports say. The Asari councilor informs them that there were multiple groups of mercinaries that attacked quickly with precision but not much is known as to why they occurred at all. The energy sources and food supplies were targeted but not destroyed and it surprises the Commander to hear that casualties around the Galaxy that were involved in the attacks were at a minimum. As Tevos is about to conclude what's in the report her assistant walks into the room with an updated copy.

Handing the datapad to the councilor the young Asari quickly returns to her desk, a small smile on her face due to the small victory her and her sisters in the Eclipse just gained. The assistants name is Emelia Driris, and she is one of the few surviving members of the Eclipse mercenary group, and has made a name for herself quickly. Her non-caring façade when killing her victims caught the eye of the Merc groups leader Jona Sederis. Emelia would have moved through the ranks quickly even without the war killing off her sisters in arms due to her hatred of Commander Shepard. The Spectre murdered multiple memebers of the Eclipse on illium while helping a justicar among other areas and needs to be punished for it. Then there was the Asari Councilor who backed the Spectre and had put her own laws into affect that pertained to the Eclipse.

After Emelia joined the Merc group and survived the battle with Shepard she left Nos-Astra. The young Asari mercenary vowed revenge against the Human and eventually came up with the idea to become the Councilors assistant in order to kill both, Tevos and Shepard. She was supposed to kill Tevos when the attacks happened and then murder Shepard when she came to investigate but her orders changed. Sederis wanted to be there to witness their deaths but got held up on Omega so informed her infiltrator to hold off, for now.

Now the galaxies savior is here and the impulse to detonate a bomb in the room is nearly too much. So the data pad informing Tevos that she was a target will have to do, and hopefully cause her to live in fear for the time being. It may backfire and cause the Asari councilor to go into hiding but that will only make killing her mor doc a thrill. Putting her ear piece in so she can listen in on the conversation going on in the next room, her smile grows wider at the reaction from the councilor.

* * *

"Apparently..." Tevos begins, growing nervous as she reads. "It is also being reported that there were some mercs that got close enough to attack my office..."

Growing concerned the councilor becomes silent, thinking about what could have been.

"It's almost as if they were testing how close they could get to us, to me..." Tevos begins but is interrupted by Aethyta.

"I should have helped them if that's the case." The Matriarch is tired of all of the bullshit that has been told by the Councilor. Tevos was put into her position to lead the Asari people and in a time like this she is needed. All Aethyta has witnessed is shady dealings with Aria and goddess knows who else.

"Listen." Shepard speaks up before an arguement begins. "I don't know what's going on with you two but enough. We have too much to worry about with these new attacks for personal problems to get in the way. But it doesn't seem that we can get past this so out with it. What's the problem?"

After hearing what Aethyta had to say about the Alliance help that was turned away, as well as what she feels Aria's role has been in it all, Shepard and Liara share a look. They both know that the Matriarch is probably correct about the omega queens involvement. Before the Asari councilor can say anything to defend herself or her bondmate Shepard moves to the Councilors vid com.

"Shepard, wait please. Aria isn't available, she's already left Omega and is on her way to see..." Realizing she is in a room full of people she doesn't know, Tevos stops herself from divulging any infomation that could be made public.

"Councilor, if I'm going to investigate this attack I need to follow every lead, and that includes talking to a known criminal, friend or not."

"But why would she attack me?"

"Don't no, but I'll ask her that and more."

Before Tevos can say anything further, Shepard contacts the Omega Queen from the Councilors private terminal. She had planned to keep it private but decided to project the vid call on the main screen in the councilors office. Shepard needs Aria to know that if she is involved then the Spectre will give her an opportunity to explain but not much more. Most people who are close to the Commander know of their working relationship so the first Human Spectre wants to show she isn't playing favorites. Kerry secretly hopes Aria has nothing to do with any of this and is relieved temporarily after a few moments and no response. The Commander is about to disconnect when the screen flickers and an Asari appears.

"Ah, Commander Shepard, what do I owe the honor?" Jonas Sederis says in a condesending tone.

Out of all of her choices that she made over her career, this is one of the few that keeps her up at night. As with all of her choices it was entirely hers to make. She was even given an opportunity to say no when Bailey tried to talk her out of it but Kerry was desperate. Shepard knows it was wrong to let Sederis, a mudering psychopath out of prison. The leader of the Eclipse mercenary group only has one goal in mind; take over the Galaxy and destroy anyone who'd try and stop her.

Now that Kerry let her out of prison for some cannon fodder for the war effort and she somehow survived, Sederis has her chance. The Commander could have let Aria deal with the Eclipse mercenaries and have Bailey keep her locked up. More than likely she would have died on the citadel and that's what makes this choice and seeing Jonas again, so hard to deal with, she survived.

Jonas Sederis, leader of the Eclipse, taker of countless inocent lives, survived the war when so many good people who fought bravely, sacrificed it all. They are unable to see what the Galaxy will look like after it rebuilds, yet this Asari bitch is breathing. The Commander begins to think back to the citadel when she finally made it up through the beam, with Anderson, and all the bodies that seemed endless. How quickly did it take the Reapers to kill them all and how many more died because she wasn't quick enough to fire the weapon? Finding the leviathans and asking them for help, even though they posed a huge threat, was a better idea than letting Sederis out. This conversation is just another example of that fact.

"It's so nice to see you up and around again Commander. After that woman shot you on the citadel I didn't think you'd survive. But I'm sure it's nothing for you since you make enemies everywhere you go. Oh and I do have to thank you for destroying Cerberus for me; they always were a thorn in my side."

"Where's Aria, Sederis?" Not wanting to listen to her ramblings Shepard gets straight to the point. "And why are you and the other Merc groups attacking inocents while they are trying to rebuild?"

"Because, your pet Asari..." Breifly turning her attention to Liara, who is standing next to Shepard, then back to the Spectre licking her lips."... refused to let you come...and play with me...very selfish of you, young maiden." Directing the conversation towards Liara and sounding as suggestive as possible, Kerry has to keep her emotions at bay. "I told you before that you'd pay for each one of the Eclipse sisters lives you've taken but alas you were busy. This young Asari must be good...or is it the other way around? Tell me Maiden has this Human made you replace the Goddess's name with her own..."

"Enough!" Shepard screams, causing everyone to jump.

"Oh come now Commander, surely you know I mean her no harm...I only wish to harm you." Jonas's wicked glare would cause most people to cower in fear but all it's doing is pissing Shepard off more but she's trying to keep her calm. "I was only giving her, and you a compliment since you were so busy with each other that you didn't bother to help your poor Quarian friend after I destroyed her ship. I mean normally the great Commander Shepard would have been the first one there helping...so I can only assume that the Azure must be good..."

"I said enough!" The commander can feel the rage boiling over, can feel hatred from each one of her friends in the room. All of this is because of a stupid game Sederis wants to play. Now this supposed accident that killed thousands, was acutally a deliberate act.

"You destroyed my ship..." Tali asks, her voice cracking. The Quarian is still on edge about what happened and is laced with guilt over surviving. The talk with Shepard helped but this may be Tali's undoing."You...killed all those people? For what...for what reason?!" Her voice getting louder with each word spoken. "Why?!" Feeling strong arms wrap around her causes Tali to break down.

Exchanging looks with Garrus, Shepard motions for the Turian to take the grieving Quarian out of the room. Turning her attention to the screen, Shepard has had enough.

"You killed all those people just to get to me...well here I am Sederis..."

"Oh don't flatter yourself Commander..." Jonas interrupts. "...but yes, yes I did...only now my revenge against you has become stale. So killing you won't be as thrilling as I imagined it would be." She says shaking her head, an evil smile comes across her face. "No, I promised Aria I'd leave you alone, so instead... I'm putting all of my attention towards doing what the Reapers couldn't, elimintating as many people as I can and taking over the galaxy...while you sit watch."

"So each time you hear of an attack on all of those poor helpless refugees all across the Galaxy trying so hard to rebuild, you will think of me...or when you hear that an orphanage has been destroyed and all of those helpless younglings have been hurt and have no where else to go, you will think of me... And if you decide to become a hero and get in my way or send your pathetic friends after me, I will slit the throat of each and every one of them and their family members and send you their heads in a box. This, my dear Commander Shepard, hero and savior of us all, is Aria and my gift to you. You will live on while the rest of the Galaxy suffers at my hands...watching."

"I won't let that happen." Shepard's speaks through gritted teeth. Hands balled into tight fists and she can feel her nails digging into her palms. "We stopped the Reapers so what makes you think we won't stop you before you can even try and..."

"My dear naive Commander, I'm nearly there already. Who do you think helped the Reapers harvest so many lives on the citadel? I mean, I'm not anywhere close to your status as 'destroyer of relays' and 'killer of an entire race'...sad really the Batarians were good at killing for cheap, especially Humans. But I am close."

Sederis went on to say how she was responsible for the deaths of everyone on the Citadel. That after she was let out of jail she went to work on sabotaging each of the docks so no one could leave. Jonas continues to tell a very stunned and silent room how she had a dream that the Reapers needed the Citadel and everyone on it so she decided to help. She didn't know when they were going to attack but knew that they were coming and is now taking credit for the millions that died that day.

As much as Shepard wants to tell her to shut her mouth she knows it's futile. Jonas Sederis loves to hear herself talk and now is no different. After hearing about the genocide the Asari caused, Shepard can only close her eyes and try not to scream. She stopped listening to the mercenary leader so she didn't feed into the Asari's ramblings until a name is mentioned. It's a name that Shepard hadn't heard anything about an hoped he had survived.

"Oh and Commander I do have a message for you...from a friend I believe...a Captain Bailey." Looking up at nothing, acting like she's trying to remember something important."What were his exact words again? Oh yes I believe his exact words were...'please don't shoot'...right before I opened the back of his skull." The insane Asari laughs meniacly. The expression on the Human Spectre's face is more than enough to keep her entertained for a while. She is furious and Sederis can tell how mad she's getting with how much she is shaking. As nonchalantly as possible Sederis continues, a smile permanently etched on her face.

"I do apologize Commander but I take offense when someone tries to detain me. So now you know my reasonings and also know you have no chance at stopping us. Especially with this latest attack I know everyone's weaknesses but I know how you are, always trying to save the little people, so it's only a matter of time before you and your crew try and stop me. Then you will be forcing me to make good on killing your friends while you sit on the side lines watching. Maybe you'll like watching other things, and I can take your Maiden as my pet ..."

"Just know your going to live long enough to die for me..." Shepard snaps.

Leaning closer to the screen with eyes full of evil, focused solely on the Commander. "And you need to know that you will live long enough to watch your precious galaxy burn!" Sederis retorts, shutting down the vid call, leaving a very quiet room full of people to think about what was just said.


	15. Well enough alone

**A/N; Thank you all for the follow/ favs and reviews. It is appreciated. To the guest reviewers, you rule. **

**I am not ignoring this fic, I just have a few others in work so it may be slow going but I will be finishing this. **

**Bio Ware owns all im just having fun.**

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**Well enough alone**

Looking at the screen that has been blank for the past few moments, Shepard has to push down the rage she feels. It's taking everything she has not to travel to Omega and put a bullet in Jonas Sederis's skull. The conversation she just had with the leader of the eclipse mercenary group, who just admitted to killing well over a million innocent people, is eating away at her. The last words each of them spoke to each other, with Shepard threatening to kill the Asari, and then Sederis saying the Commander would only live to see her precious galaxy burn, continue to replay. All this does is make Shepard begin to think that this will be the end result of both of their lives.

Would Shepard have to kill Sederis just to stop her from destroying the galaxy Kerry just saved? Could Shepard sit back and watch this happen or would Jonas keep true of her word and harm the commanders friends if she got involved, forcing her to stay out of it? Or would she have to become someone like Sederis and not care of the consequences while chasing after her? These questions only bring up more doubt in her decsions she made over the war.

All the deals with Aria to get Sederis out of jail. All of the running around she did to make it look like the omega queen had a spectre on a leash. It was just to get the Merc groups to follow her, but it was all bullshit.

Aria knew that Shepard would find a way to destroy the Reapers, and knew that the galaxy would be in shambles and easy pickings for her to expand her control past Omega. Aria probably counted on Kerry dying in the process and her survival is probably delaying their plans, so why Aria helped in her rescue from the citadel makes no sense. No matter, they are still moving forward with attacking each planet and system, and with the way this last conversation went, Sederis is getting impatient and should have been farther along.

How desperate was the Commander to make the decsions to agree with Aria and let out Sederis? And now Jonas has admitted to killing her friend, Commader Bailey, the one who told her not to let the crazy Asari out. Her list of people she murdered is in the millions and growing. She supposedly destroyed Tali's ship, killing half a million people and nealry killing Tali, so the guilt is slowly chipping away at the Commader. There is only one person to blame for this, and it is all due to Shepard letting her out of prison.

How many other decisions has she made since joining the Alliance and becoming an N7 that have been wrong? How many has she made that will come back to effect the Galaxy now? All of the things her and Liara discussed over the past few weeks, ridding herself of all the doubt that had been eating away at her, now resurfaces.

Looking around the room she sees the faces of everyone staring back at her and even though she knows they aren't, she's feeling judged. Lowering her head down in shame she feels that they should be judging her for her actions, since it was she who let out a known terrorist for cannon fodder. She did it just to put more lives on the line so they had the time needed to build the crucible. In the end she sent them to their death, innocent or not, so she is no different then Jonas.

This is how the Commander is begining to view it now. It's easy for the first Human Spectre to think this way, but when a hand touches her shoulder, Shepard looks back around the room at all of her friends. They are still staring back at her, but they are looking back at her with concern, and above all else, understanding. Feeling the hand on her shoulder squeeze she turns to face her friend and fellow Spectre, Ashely Williams.

"We got this skipper." Williams tries to reasure her friend.

It's like looking into a mirror and Ashley silently says a prayer that this will all pass, and both Human Spectre's can stop doubting themselves. During the war it was easy; give an order and it gets carried out. As a member of the military, any military, you train for any and all situations and those that are in command make the decisions and do not think twice. Even after the battle is over and there is time to go over everything, the decisions made are only second guessed if the battle is lost or innocents are injured.

Even with that said; people die in war.

Military and civilian alike suffer casualties, and this war with the Reapers is a testament to that fact. There was no mercy or surrender there was just the harvest, so all civilians were forced to fight for their lives. It doesn't make their deaths any easier to handle. They will be mourned but now is a time to move past what happened and focus on a new future. It is difficult for people like Shepard and Williams since they were supposed to protect those that were defenseless, but their sacrifices helped win the war. As much as she may not like it, Ash understands that there was no other way for this war to be fought and casualties were inevitable. No good can come out of Williams blaming herself for each one, especially Kaidens, and the same is true for Shepard.

The Commander has witnessed Ash do this to herself time and again. She has second guessed herself since before she was made a Spectre. There have been a number of different reasons why she has done this but Shepard knows that it isn't warranted. Ashley deserves the position she was given, no matter the reason, just like she was supposed to survive the mission on Eden Prime, while they were protecting the Prothean beacon all those years ago. She was supposed to survive it all so she could join the Normandy crew. With this simple jester to help Shepard out of her self imposed guilt, Kerry hopes Williams has moved past her own, and the same is true for Shepard. Sederis isn't her fault, no matter if she let the lunatic out or not, so feeling guilty about her decisions won't help anything.

A plan needs to be formed and actions need to be taken to ensure supplies are secure and still being delivered without incidents. The attacks can, and will be dealt with before they escalate and more casualties arise. Councilors need to be protected so the survivors have a figure to look up to. Someone that is showing everyone that the rebuilding process is in full effect.

With everyones concentration focused on rebuilding, it has been easy to overlook the criminals that survived and choose to take advantage of a hurting galaxy. Even though Shepard was able to obtain the help of the different merc groups, it doesn't mean they'd stop being mercinaries after the fact.

The more Kerry thinks about the best plan of action the more she realizes how difficult this will be. There are numerous opportunities for people like Sederis to take control and gather more numbers. Now is as good a time as any, since there are refugees that have nothing. There are so many out there that are in need of assistance and not receiving it that desperation is begining to take over. Sederis would have to do nothing, except put the offer of creds, food and shelter, and those desperate enough will join her ranks.

It will be those people that will be the easiest to fight but the hardest to try and kill. They are not trained killers by any means and only want a way to support themselves and their famlies. Right now most are innocent for the most part and if a plan can be created and a crew assembled to go after them quickly enough then those looking for help will not be harmed.

Then there are those who are only out for the credits and power, like Aria. Expanding her control is what the Queen of Omega must be planning and no one will get in her way. That is why she aligned herself with Sederis. Nothing matters to the eclipse leader, so Aria would much rather Jonas do her dirty work while she stays in the shadows.

The only problem Aria will be faced with is that Sederis doesn't care if the galaxy is destroyed as long as she is in the middle of all the violence. It is these types that worry Shepard the most. The ones who have no worry about any consequences; those like Sederis. Someone who will destroy it all, and look for more. These are the ones who have nothing to lose and only want to see the galaxy burn. Mix them all together and the galaxy is faced with another war that has the possibility of doing what the Reapers could not; destroy everything.

Running her hands through her once blonde, but now red hair in frustration the Commander needs to clear her head and get some air. Remembering that Tali had been upset, Kerry does the one thing she knows will clear her mind, help someone in need. She needs to tend to her Quarian friend, and see how Tali is doing. Excusing herself for a moment she walks out of the councilors office to see Tali being comforted by her Turian lover. Shepard smiles when she thinks about their growing relationship. It started towards the end of the war and they seem to want to keep it going. It's times like these that the Commander's mood improves due to her friends surviving. Shepard knows it will not be an easy recovery for anyone, especially Tali, but her Quarian sister is strong, and will get through this.

"Tali, you okay?" Shepard asks tentatively when she gets closer to the pair. Tali is strong but the lives that were lost on her ship are still fresh in her mind. Kerry especially does not want the Quarian mad at her for this.

"Shepard?...I figured you'd be halfway to Omega to kill that Boshtet." Seeing the forced smile on Shepards face, Tali knows exactly what the Human is thinking.

"Trust me Shepard I'm alright and I am not mad at you for what happened. It is Sederis not you. I just need to stop thinking about it, and I want something to go good for once, I think we deserve it. Don't get me wrong I am more than grateful that we survived the war but what we are faced with now seems like an extension of what we just went through. There will be many sleepless nights from here on out for everyone and not everything will be perfect I know but..." Tali's voice trails off a little while she tries to focus on something else besides the names and faces of everyone who was on her ship.

She didn't know everyone by name, even though she met all that came on board, but it is the families and children that are eating away at her. Each time she closes her eyes the visions are more horific then the last. She knows it will take time but she needs it to end.

"I guess what I'm trying to say is, I want a normal life."

Feeling a strong arm around her squeeze a little, letting her know that she is not alone, Tali leans into the embrace.

"But that's not what we do, Tali." Her Turian lover says to her.

"In fact I don't think normal is even in the Commanders vocabulary. It probably wouldn't translate to any of us either." Garrus says, appreciating the fact that his two favorite squad mates seem to be healing.

"Garrus is right, but I am definitely looking forward to something that resembles a normal life from here on out." Shepard begins. As much as she loves being in the Alliance and a Spectre, becoming a parent and becoming Liara's partner are what she is really looking forward to. A future that she envisions will be possible but only if people like Sederis and now Aria are no longer a part of.

"I just need to figure out how Aria is involved in all of this. Then come up with a way to end this quickly, if I'm even going to get involved."

Shepard appreciates everything that the Omega ruler has done for her and thought they were friends. However, if she is involved with Sederis then she needs to answer for what she has done, they both do. This is a time for the entire galaxy to heal, not have to deal with more fighting. The Reaper war just ended and yes people are hurting and in need of supplies but stealing them is only going to start another war between the masses and decimate an already fragile galaxy.

Kerry is having a hard time believing that Aria doesn't realize this, and the supplies are needed. It was a war that nealry wiped out all races and forced Shepard to destroy a relay to give everyone more time to prepare. It is a war that has claimed the lives of seventy percent of the galaxies population, if not more. It has also been the cause of a planet that once held ten billion people on it to be uninhabitable, and eventually evacuated.

"Shepard we all know who Aria is, and we know you've helped her in the past, but if she's apart of this then someone needs to go after her." Garrus tells his friend

Shepard doesn't expect Aria to care about anything except keeping herself alive and in her position of power, but she needs to understand a few things. She should realize that the Commander nearly gave up her life, as well as the lives of her friends and loved ones, to stop the Reapers. That she destroyed an ancient alien race that had been around for millions of years, and none of the other cycles could stop them. So going after two of the most feared and hated Asari just to keep the peace in the galaxy will be easy.

Since Sederis seems to be flaunting the fact that she is the cause of a massacre that hasn't been made public yet, Shepard knows Jonas has to be kept quiet. There are still those who refuse to believe that the Reapers are gone and will not travel. Hearing about a Quarian ship that was transporting refugees being deliberately destroyed will make people more paranoid.

Keeping this incident out of the galactic news networks hands will be a hard task but not many people believe what the GNN reports since the Shepard interview on the citadel. Either way someone may think it's true, and with these latest attacks having the possibility of causing panic, the Alliance needs to act quickly.

Shepard is about to go back into the councilors office and discuss all of this when she sees Garrus's attention move to something that is behind her. Turning around, Shepard rolls her eyes and runs her hands through her hair in frustration, again. It would figure that a reporter would be waiting for them to appear out of Tevos's office, and want to ask questions.

Not being in the mood to deal with this right now but wanting to hear what, if anything this reporter knows, she attempts to go to this Asari. Before she can walk towards the reporter a hand is placed on her arm and someone tries to pull her towards the councilors room. Brushing Garrus off, she gives him an indication that everything is okay, he need not worry, but for some reason Garrus does not look convinced.

As soon as the Asari began to walk towards them she had the Turians attention. Noticing it is a reporter coming towards the three Normandy crew members he can only imagine this Asari having a death wish. Rolling his eyes he quickly tries to move their conversation back inside the councilors office, but Shepard has already turned to face off against the poor Maiden.

Garrus has always been convinced that Shepard could sense danger moments before it happened and when it comes to reporters, it's no different. It's like she has a sixth sense, and can smell out a reporter that wants to harass her. He hopes Shepard doesn't punch this one. Sharing a look with Tali they both follow their Commander to make sure the Human behaves.

X

X

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X

"You must have a death wish, Sederis!" Aria snaps at the other Asari in her office room. The Omega leader is beyond annoyed at the eclipse leader. She can only imagine what Shepard, Tevos, and the rest of room is now thinking. So much so that the normally unflappable Omega leader is now debating whether she should call the Commander personally. She portrays herself as a hard ass but is not stupid, and does not want any powerful enemies, especially Shepard.

"I told you not to do anything while I was out of the office but you had to fuck with her..."

"It's no different than what you do!" Sederis yells back. "Beside she called me... and what do you care what those people think? I understand you are fucking the councilor and want to fuck Shepard but don't get a conscience now. We have an agreement Aria, and a plan so don't screw it up."

"There was no reason for you to taunt her. I told you to leave Shepard out of this and what my relationship is with any of them is not your concern. But now I have to do damage control and make sure she doens't come after us." Moving closer to the other Asari, Aria flares her biotics to show Sederis who is in charge.

"No matter what my attitude, my one rule, or who I am fucking, I still know who not to piss off and Shepard is one of them. So the next time you get an idea to screw with the woman who just destroyed the Reapers, before you do, do me a favor and save everyone the time and put a bullet in your own skull or we are all dead!"

X

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"Commmander Shepard. It is an honor to meet you." The Asari reporter says to the galaxies savior.

"Thank you, miss?"

"Prome...Deva Prome, Galactic News Network. I was hoping to ask you a few questions regarding..." Stopping mid sentence the GNN reporter sighs and hopes her next sentence doesn't piss off the woman who just destroyed the Reapers.

Kerry can tell this reporter is a little nervous and hopes her bad mood caused by Sederis does not come out right now. Seeing Tali begin to heal a little more even after what the Eclipse leader said, has caused her mood to change for the better. To know that there is a future with them all in it makes everything else a secondary thought. She knows Sederis needs to be stopped but there are still capable people available to go after the insane Asari. Her future with her bondmate and child are what is important.

Seeing the hesitation on the Asari in front of her causes a smile to appear on the Commander and she takes pity on the green hughed Asari.

"It's okay, I only hit annoying reporters and you haven't said anything yet, so ask away."

A look of frustration appears on the reporter and she shakes her head as she informs the Commander what she is reading. "That's just it...we have a specific set of questions to ask you and it's from our bosses. Now normally I'd be okay with this but these questions border on the ridiculous, you deserve more respect than this."

The reporter shows the first Human Spectre the data pad in her hand which in turn causes the Commader to burst into a fit of laughter. After a moment and confused glances from her crew mates Shepard explains.

"Well apparently every other female on the Normandy is pregnant, and Garrus your the father...You stud you." Shepard says elbowing the emabarrased king of the bottle shooters.

If a Turian could blush it would have been Garrus at this moment, and if he was drinking something it would have come out, which causes all three woman around him to smile.

"And apparently..." Kerry continues to read, raising her voice a little for all to hear. "The Normandy was one giant orgy, and it's amazing we were able to stop the Reapers at all with all the sex we had. And oh good lord I'm being given my own planet...To take all of you to, so we can continue this sex party...do people not realize I'd be dead if any of this ever happened." Shaking her head in disbelief at some of the ridiculous questions.

"Not that I would do any of this, but Liara would find new and improved ways to kill me, have Miranda bring me back just to kill me again. I mean seriously, who the hell comes up with this shit?"

Shepard continues to read some of the questions that were supposed to asked to her and laughs at each one. In the back of her mind she is thankful that there is no serious questions especially about the more recent attacks. Seeing the expression change on the Asari reporters face, erases any of those thoughts.

"Actually Commander Shepard I have my own questions." The Asari begins. "I understand you cannot discuss anything that has to do with these latest attacks. At least until after an investigation is done, but I wanted to see what your comments are with regards to the Quarian Admiralty board briging up charges against Admiral Tali'zorah? And what actually happenend to her ship and all of those Humans aboard the Qwib Qwib?"

Not able to answer since she has no idea about this new development Shepard turns toward Tali.

"How did you know about this?" Tali asks in disbelief. "I just recieved a message about this from Raan."

Ignoring the question from the Quarian, the reporter continues.

"And Commander Shepard, can you comment on the reports from Tuchanka that they too were attacked by a group of STG forces, and the peace agreement between the Krogan and Salarian's is now in jeopardy? And is it also true that the Krogan leader and your friend Urdnot Wrex and his mate Urdnot Bakara were injured and they are in critical condition."

While the reporter is asking her questions Shepard can only stare back in disbelief at what she has just been infomred. Feeling a hand touch her shoulder she turns to see Liara with tears in her eyes.

"Goddess Shepard, Grunt just contacted Ashley and told us about the Salarians attacking Tuchanka. They targeted Wrex and Eve...they were both injured and it does not look good."

Turning back around Shepard grabs the Asari reporter and drags her into the councilors office to question her with regards to where she heard her information. The Alliance Commander can only hope that what she was just told isn't serious and her friends are all okay.

X

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X

Looking out over the desolate land that is Tuchanka, Shepard sighs a little. The last time any of them were here she was dodging Reapers that were trying to step on her, all while being chased by brutes and a Thresher maw; her typical Tuesday. The one memory that overtakes all of the others is the last moments she had with Mordin. The final words he spoke to her will always be engrained in her mind. He gave his life to cure the one race his people tried to control and his sacrifice allowed peace to come about.

Not one to show emotions to anyone else but Liara, Shepard was nearly brought to tears when she saw the statue of Mordin that the Krogan people had built in his honor. It was the first order given by Wrex after he returned to his home planet. It is a reminder to all Krogan that having allies, no matter who they are, can only be beneficial. It is a reminder that Krogans are not the only race that die with honor. And it is a reminder to everyone of who Mordin was to all of them, and what he did for the Krogan people.

The statue has been placed in the same area where the shroud once stood. It is there to be a reminder to all of those that look at it that a Salarian helped the Krogan. That peace between the two races was achieved and can continue on. Unfortunately that peace is now in jeopardy due to a supposed attack by Salarian STG forces.

Even with their shady past, Shepard is not convinced that the Salarian government would order an attack, and is confident that Sederis has something to do with this. With Wrex and Eve hurt in the attack, it isn't up to her though. Her opinion is being considered since she is the galaxies savior, but in the end Grunts is the one that matters. He was placed into position to lead his people so the only thing the Commander can do is try to convince the tank bread Krogan that she will look into it and find out who did this.

So far he is cooperating but it is only a matter of time before Grunt is forced to order a massive counter attack. He is young and the possibility of another older Krogan trying to take control from him is high. If he does not act then it will be a sign of weakness, so Kerry promised him she'd find out what happened and contacted Hackett. She knows the Salarian councilor as well as the dalatrass can easily lie, but Shepard is counting on the eclipse leaders involvment, and nothing more.

While staring out at the once beautiful, now baren planet she has to hold out hope that her two Krogan friends make it. She hasn't been able to see either of them yet, but offered assistance in the form of the Normandy's medical bay and staff.

As she is waiting on the boarding ramp of the Normandy for the Admiral to contact her Shepard is brought back to the conversation she had on the way to Tuchanka with another friend that is in trouble, Tali. They talked about how Han'Gerrel has accused her of deliberately blowing up the Qwib Qwib and killing thousands of people. The Commander cannot fathom how he is even able to hold the title of Admiral because of his actions during the war. Nearly killing Shepard as well as one of his own Admirals, she would have thought he'd be in prison. He should have been shot just due to the fact that he started a war with the Geth and used civilian ships in the fight.

Shepard offered her assistance again with her Quarian friends defense, but Tali already has Garrus to help her. She will be sad to see her friends leave but she is confident that Tali will be acquitted and Han'Gerrel finally stripped of his status. She shakes her head is disbelief at how quickly they were to accuse Tali of sending active Geth parts to the Flotilla and nearly convicted her without her testimony. History seems to be repeating itself since now they blame her for blowing up her own ship just because she survived. Yet they have only relegated Gerrel to a desk for what he has done.

No matter what happens though, Kerry is happy to have two of her original crew members back for now. Tali and Garrus will eventually leave for Ranoch for the hearing and then back to Palaven to help in the rebuilding process, but have offered their assistance for as long as they could. None of it will be easy after they all seperate and go their own ways but Kerry wouldn't expect it to be.

The sad feelings Kerry has are soon replaced with those of love, and she can sense her Asari lover is near her. The bond they have grows stronger with each passing moment and Liara's calming words and thoughts are always a welcome change from Shepard's hectic ones, but Shepard instantly feels guilty. Liara has always taken a back seat to the mission and the with exception of one time, the Asari has always been accepting of the fact, but the Commander is tired of it.

Moving to find Liara, she heads into the ship. She soon finds her future bondmate and mother of her child, discussing something with Miranda in the mess hall. Her curiosity is piqued when the discussion they are having suddenly becomes quiet when she walks closer to them. Shepard is about to say something when Joker comes across the comm telling her to head to the infirmery.

Turning on her heals to head the other way, her first thought is that something bad has happened. Sprinting to the med-bay, a place she has been too many times before, her heart begins to race, and she becomes nervous all of a sudden. Her thoughts turn to what will the fallout be if one or both of them die.

If Wrex dies there will be outrage and a call for revenge against those that took his life will be issued. After that is finished then there is a possibility of peace once more, but the Commander shudders to think about what would happen if Eve passes away. The entire Krogan population would join together and demolish everything. She is the reason for there being a cease fire in the first place. She's one of the few fertile females not effected by the genophage, and is seen as a leader for the females of her people. The galaxy isn't ready for another confrontation so when Shepard reaches the med bay her heart nearly drops.

Reaching the doors, Shepard stops when she hears yelling from the back of the room. When she finally pushes her way through all of the medical personnel trying to enter, Shepard closes her eyes and begins to pray. She prays that the sight before her is just a bad dream and a war she fears may happen is now on the horizon.

Her mind begins to race and try to come up with some way to help but she can only stand there in disbelief. Shepard is forced to watch as Wrex, who is in the back of the med bay, and is on the verge of going into a blood rage, tries to reach the body of another Krogan who's body is covered in a white, blood soaked sheet.

Hearing the steady beep of a heart monitor the Commander continues to pray that what she is witnessing isn't happening. The Reaper war is over and there have been too many instances since that time that she has lost, or almost lost friends and loved ones. If Eve is truly dead then the Krogans is another name to add to the memorial wall for all to mourn. Unfortunately it will be nothing compared to the names that will be added from the impending war, and she hopes she can somehow figure a way to keep the peace.


	16. Strange and facinating

**A/N; Been away from this story for way too long, and I appreciate the support.**

* * *

**Strange and fascinating**

**Walking past a waiting grave...burial today**

**Shadows cast a golden grey**

**Preparations made**

**So calm, yet**

**violent winds they play**

**such darkness on a bright Sunday**

**Am I awake? Feels strange...and fascinating like everything is going to be ok...I feel so alive.**

**But in this place I can't...help but thinking that ill end up here someday**

**That I'll end up here someday~**

* * *

**Tuchanka:**

Shepard hasn't been able to move for the last few moments. She has been standing in the door-way of the infirmary, transfixed on the site before her. She doesn't even hear Chakwas scream at her to either help or get the hell out until a hand is placed on her arm by a nurse to gain the Commander's attention.

"I'm sorry ma'am, but you have to leave until we can stabilize the patients." Only receiving a nod, the nurse guides Shepard out of the room, turns around, and heads back into the infirmary, doors shutting behind her.

The Alliance Commander is left to process all that she has just witnessed. Two of her friends are behind the door in critical condition if not worse, and she cannot do a single thing to help. Another war may be looming if the two elder Krogans succumb to their injuries and all the Commander can do is wait. She wants to do something, like search for those that hurt her friends, or try and see if there can be some way that she can reason with Grunt and the rest of his clan to let her investigate and not do anything rash, but killing a Reaper with a stick is more realistic.

She is about to try and get in touch with Hackett when Joker comes across the comm, informing her that the council wants to speak with her. When she reaches the war room she finds Ashley is already there waiting, and her annoyed expression is telling the first Human Spectre all she needs to know.

"Councilors." Shepard greats the four leaders. It is odd not to see Udina looking back at her during one of these meetings but she is happy knowing he is no longer able to cause trouble. She wishes it was Anderson, but she at least has one ally now in Hackett.

"Shepard, what is the status on Wrex and Eve?" The Alliance Admiral asks.

Not wanting to give up too much information due to who may be listening, but not wanting to lie to the Admiral she tells them the only thing she can.

"They are being operated on now, and the minute I know something I will let you know."

"Good...that is good to hear." This seems to deflate any air that the council as a hole had been holding. The tension in the room lessens a little with the exception of Tevos. She still seems to be preoccupied with the assassination attempt and her bondmate working with a known terrorist, and Shepard doesn't blame her. The Commander was in complete disbelief after the Illusive man informed her that Liara was working for the Shadow Broker. Kerry would not accept it for a minute, but the news still made her stop and think for a moment.

Looking at all of the faces of the council members brings back memories from a short time ago. It was only a few months prior that she was asking for help from each race to fight against the Reapers and having to do each of their bidding before they lifted a finger. It's weird having all four of the councilors in one room again and for her not have the sudden urge to disconnect the call. That urge comes racing back after she hears what they have to say.

"Shepard, as we were just informing Spectre Williams, we are pulling you off of Tuchanka and your to head to Eden Prime."

"Sir we have two injured Krogan in our medical bay..." Shepard says a little confused. She is not entirely sure where this conversation is going.

"They are not able to be transported off of the ship yet, and leaving with them could start an incident we don't want. It's already bad enough that there could be a war if one or both of them pass away, so I'm not understanding any of this. Was there an attack on Eden Prime?"

"No, it's nothing like that." Sparatus says. "We have decided that even with everything that is going on at this moment the Galaxy needs a sense of normalcy, something to show them that we are in fact recovering and able to move past this war. So to start we are going to have a fully broadcasted memorial service for those who were lost during the war. Now we all know that we cannot arrange a personal service for each brave sole who gave their lives during the war but..."

Shepard shakes her head and tunes out the Turian. She is now kicking herself for not disconnecting the vid feed sooner. Part of her can understand the reasoning for doing this but the larger more logical part of her mind is telling her to stop this before more people get hurt. She closes her eyes and is about to interrupt when she hears Valern begin to speak.

"And before you say anything, we know what your concerns are for doing this, especially with the attacks, but I assure you that you and all of your friends and family will be safe while you give your speech."

She lowers her head and smiles a disbelieving smile as the remaining councilors thank her for apparently volunteering to give this speech for the ages. She continues to listen while the Turian and Salarian councilors pat themselves on the backs for this amazing idea they each had a hand in creating. Without so much as a thank you for saving us Shepard, so we could come up with this extremely asinine plan to help the Galaxy heal, they continue to try to convince her that this is the best course of action.

"The Galaxy needs this now more than ever., Shepard. The people who are out there helping in the recovery process need something good for them to witness and we believe that you speaking at this service is it. At first some of us were hesitant on the idea, but after you were witnessed by the public on Thessia, there has been an outcry to see more of you. People don't care about what happened on the Citadel, they want to see you...hear what you have to say. Yes it may be sad but soon the galaxies population will realize that this ceremony is not only a time to mourn the dead but to celebrate the living."

Once the councilors finish speaking, Shepard looks back at each of them and notices that only two of them are smiling while Hackett and Tevos seem to have other things on their minds. She realizes they want an answer from her so she gives one that is as diplomatic as she can.

"I'll be there with bells on." She says as sarcastically as possible. When she sees confused looks on three of the four councilors and a laugh from Williams she rolls her eyes and continues.

"We will be on our way as soon as possible. I just need to coordinate with doctor Chakwas to make sure that we can leave with the patients we have, and inform Grunt so we won't be a accused of kidnapping and shot out of the sky."

"Absolutely." Valern says nervously. "We wouldn't want an galactic wide incident now would we?"

Kerry can hear the nervousness in his voice and wonders why, since he and the dalatrass would run and hide anyway. The more she thinks about it the more it aggravates her to no end that the Salarian and Turian councilors would guarantee everyone's safety during this ceremony when it is the perfect opportunity for Sederis to attack. She wants to voice her thoughts but would rather end this mind numbing conversation before it gets any worse, but Tevos and Hackett ask to talk to her in private. After the other councilors disconnect their feeds and Williams steps outside, the remaining councilors seem to be hesitant about talking to her.

"Shepard I wanted to talk to you about the recent events with regards to Sederis and the attacks that she has orchestrated." He pauses for a moment to chose his next words carefully.

"After we went over what was said in Tevos's office as well as your medical condition we all agree that you should not be apart of going after Sederis."

Shepard can tell he is hesitating to tell her this and for the most part she understands why they made this decision. The Asari admitted that if Shepard was involved then Jonas would destroy what's left of the galaxy and hurt her friends. Kerry figures that she'd be used as bait or as unofficially as possible until the Asari is caught, but that doesn't seem to be the case and she is being asked to step aside. She thought that not being involved would upset her more, but it doesn't. She is more aggravated that she didn't realize that this was going to happen since none of the councilors called her by her title during this meeting.

"Why wasn't I involved in this decision?" Shepard asks after what Hackett has said to her sinks in. "And am I to assume that you've also made the decision to release me from active duty and strip me of my Spectre status due to my medical condition?"

"It's nothing like that." Hackett realizes that he hit a nerve and should have discussed this with her first...she deserved that much.

"This decision was made in hopes that Sederis will slip up and become sloppy if she thinks your not involved. You will be apart of this investigation but as a consultant only." Hackett sounds like he is trying to force the words out, and this was not his decision at all.

"It may not work but we have to try something. And as far as your medical condition, it's just precautionary. You will always be in the Alliance and a Spectre. The decision to leave either of them is yours..."

"Then I choose now." Shepard takes the two remaining councilors by surprise with her admission. "I'll have my resignation paperwork to you after the ceremony is over with."

Shepard can see the disbelieving looks on Hackett and Tevos, but doesn't elaborate any further as to why she just made this decision.

"Shepard that is not what we meant..."

"Councilor Tevos..." She interrupts and changes the subject before either of them can ask for an explanation. "You wanted to speak to me as well."

"Shepard, I..."Tevos wants to ask her more about her rash decision but she can tell that the Human has made up her mind.

"I have the locations of the Matriarchs we discussed." Tevos is trying to be as discreet as possible with this subject. The legal ramifications plus the moral aspect of allowing the surviving elders to steal money from the dead would constitute Tevos being removed from her position and incarcerated for the rest of her days. Her role was limited but she made sure the elder Matriarchs involvement was erased, and made to look like an accident that happened over the course of the war and the credits had been filtered into a secret account.

"Send everything you have and I will have Liara look into it. Anything else?" Shepard says with her hand on the disconnect button.

The Asari councilor had thought that the Spectre would handle this herself but trusts Liara as well. Tevos just hopes that her network is able to help. Her nerves increase and she wants to get this conversation over with since she has an idea of what Shepard is going to say to her. Tevos takes a deep breath and continues.

"Yes, there is one more thing. After further review of all of the evidence I have read, I have decided to stop looking into Aria as a suspect. I believe..."

"Your doing it again aren't you?" Shepard interrupts the Asari. "This is just like the warnings about the Reapers. You didn't listen then, and your not listening now, only this time you may actually not survive." Her voice is getting louder and she can see the Asari councilor flinch a little.

"The comparison you are making between the two are of completely different events, and for different reasons." Tevos answers back in a defensive tone.

"Actually there not. Your not listening to the facts. I don't care if it's one, or a hundred people telling you something, there is evidence that Aria is involved, evidence that you witnessed, but your still not going to believe it until its too late...again! And to answer your question, yes this is part of the reason why I'm retiring." Kerry is beyond frustrated. She was initially debating whether she should resign her commission or not but these past few moments erase all doubt.

Shepard wants to scream at the Asari but stops herself when she see's the sad look on her face.

"Look I get it...I truly do." Shepard voice softens a little, with more understanding. "When I was woken up after two years and told that Liara couldn't be trusted when I was trying to build my team against the Collectors I didn't believe it either. I probably would have denied she was involved in anything illegal even if she told me herself, and it's because of the feelings we have for our loved ones that we tend to ignore certain things, but you need to look at Aria's track record. She may not be trying to assassinate you directly, but the people she has gotten herself involved with obviously know who you are, and either don't care, or are trying to show Aria who is running things."

Sighing a little, hoping that she is getting through to the Asari she looks the Councilor in the eye to show her just how sincere she is with this next statement.

"No matter what you may think Aria is capable of, she's nothing like Jonas Sederis. You can reason with Aria, but Sederis is insane. Aria told me that Jonas would never defy her after I let her out of jail, but do you honestly want to bet your life on that? She will stop at nothing to get what she wants, and that is more power. And since this is my last few days as a Spectre, my last piece of advice to you is listen to Aethyta, be careful, and if you find Sederis, you do not hesitate to put a bullet in her head."

X

X

X

X

Walking out of the conference room to go and talk to Chakwas about leaving the Krogan homeworld, Shepard's mind continues to think back on the previous conversation with the councilors.

Williams had been waiting outside and is now a step behind her commanding officer, following her to the medical bay. She knows Shepard is aggravated about the councilors decision making, but the second Human Spectre agrees with them to a certain extent. There needs to be a ceremony and Shepard needs to be the one who gives the speech, but not at this moment. Looking at the skipper, Williams can tell it is bothering her as well.

"Want to talk about it?"

Stopping mid-stride the first Human Spectre spins around, looks directly at Williams, and then begins to pace.

"It's just a speech Shepard. Just treat it like any other mission. Get in, get it done and get out. I know it's not the right time but..."

"It's not just that Ash. I basically just resigned in there."

A little surprised at the news, Ash tries to wrap her head around what was just said.

"It has been a thought for a while now, but I never voiced it to anyone else except Liara. They took me off of the Sederis mission and told me that my medical problems I had with my heart were the reason, but that's all done with." Stopping, she closes her eyes, lowers her head, and takes a deep breath. The reality of what just happened setting in.

"I guess I wanted it to be on my terms, but it's not a big deal I guess, so..."

"But it is something skip. Being a soldier is all you've known for a big part of your life, and giving it up isn't going to be an easy transition, but you've done your job and are about to be a parent, so let someone else take the reigns for a change." Williams says, finally finding her voice.

"This is a good thing."

Appreciating the sentiment, Shepard smiles towards her friend. They continue to walk to Chakwas's office when Kerry suddenly makes a detour towards the chow hall after seeing Liara and Miranda having another private conversation. This is twice in a short amount of time that she has witnessed these two having a serious talk. This time Liara seems to be upset and no one makes Shepard's girl upset. Plus, she needs to tell Liara what has just happened and she has not talked with Miranda in a while, and has the sudden urge to make the former Cerberus operative squirm.

As she gets closer to them the conversation suddenly stops and they both look like they have done something wrong.

"Don't you just hate it when the person you are talking about suddenly shows up out of no where." Shepard says with a smile, forgetting about her previous conversation after Liara smiles at her. "And then there is that embarrassing moment where you are not sure if the person you're talking about heard anything you said."

"And don't you just hate it when people automatically think they are always the topic of conversation...when they are not." Miranda replies without missing a beat. She could see the expression on the Commanders face as soon as she noticed her and could tell she was going to try and be a smart ass.

Out of the corner of her eye, Miranda can see Liara turn her head to try and not laugh directly in her lovers face but the pout on the Commander tells Laswon otherwise. Trying to save a little face Kerry puts an arm around Liara and gives her a quick kiss, then looks at Miranda again..

"So, since I have to pry it out of you... what were my favorite"...saying towards Liara then back to Miranda. "and least favorite people discussing?"

"Well actually, we were talking about...you, Shepard." Liara says reluctantly, knowing exactly how Kerry will react.

"Ha...I knew it...!"

"Honestly Commander, do you have to act like a juvenile at a constant?" Lawson's tone is filled with annoyance.

"Actually yes, yes I do." Shepard says with a smile. "So what about me were you lovely ladies discussing? My dashing good looks, my impressive model collection, or my ability to shoot someone at a thousand meters?"

"Goddess I'm marrying a child..." Liara puts her head in her hand.

"Hey I...never mind."

"If you must know, Shepard." Miranda begins. "We were discussing your internal organs."

Making a face in disgust, Shepard regrets ever asking her one question but knows what they were talking about.

"I am still apprehensive about what was done to you on Earth. I am not convinced that your heart is completely healed or will ever be, and I must insist..."

"Is this why the councilors basically forced me to step down?" Shepard asks. "Did you tell them that my heart isn't healed so they think I am not qualified to be a Spectre?"

"No, we never said that, but I did give Hackett everything I had on you with the exception of your most recent procedure, so he still believes your heart transplant hasn't healed completely. I am still running tests to see if we can use the technology to help wounded soldiers recover faster."

"I thought you said you didn't believe it worked?"

"I am skeptical, but I have not witnessed anything to tell me otherwise. So if it did work on you then we have a miracle on our hands. I am more worried about word getting out about this magic cure-all, and then everyone will want it. Hackett knows a little about what Cerberus and doctor Riley had been working on but I don't want it to go past him. If that falls in the wrong hands then..."

"I know Miranda, and I believe that too, and I'm still convinced that Sederis sent that team of Mercenaries while we were on Earth, so there may be a leak somewhere. But I would have hoped that you two would have talked to me about this first." Shepard isn't angry about this, but discussing it with her would have been nice.

"I still have a say in this decision."

"I know and we are sorry." Liara says timidly. "We just want to make sure you are completly healed and there is no chance of your health regressing." She silently chastises herself since she is still making decisions like Shepard is sick and unable to. She's not worried about Kerry being mad at her for doing so, just her changing her mind.

"Do you not want that anymore...to leave the Alliance?" Shepard can hear the sadness in her lovers voice and she did not want to upset Liara any further then she already seems to be.

Turning to face her lover, Shepard places both hands on the Asari's shoulders so she can show her bondmate her sincerity.

"That's exactly what I want. To live out our lives without the worry of a war or missions to run off to. I just wanted it to be our choice and not some medical condition...or the councilors pushing me away." Looking into Liara's eyes, Shepard can see understanding and wants her lover to know that spending eternity is all that she wants.

"I guess the closer I got to saying it out loud the more frightened I was about it, and now that I have, it's scary. But I have you..."

"And I am here for you always." Liara says as she kisses her Human. "As I am sure Miranda is as well."

"I know, and I appreciate it and as far as you worrying about the procedure doctor Riley did...don't." The ex-Cerberus operative is about to voice her opinion when Shepard continues.

"Think about it Miranda. You were able to help me even after the Reapers destroyed most of the Galaxy, so if this latest procedure doesn't work then I am sure you can think of something to fix me again. From what Riley has said to me about all of this then apparently Cerberus has had this tech for a while. Apparently the suits their shock troops wore, were able to heal them at a rated quicker rate...it's probably why thue seemed to be a little harder to kill. Riley and his wife just perfected the tech and reversed it. Now I'm able to heal from the inside out, so I can understand there being a worry about this working, but please run any concerns you have for me, by me." Receiving a nod from the both of them, Shepard continues but her mood turns a little somber.

She tells the two women about the ceremony and for Miranda to inform Joker that they will be leaving soon. After Lawson leaves, Shepard takes Liara's hand into her own and walks towards the medical bay. She purposely detoured away from seeing Chakwas and is still dreading what could be behind the doors.

Arriving, Shepard feels Liara squeeze her hand a little, letting her know that the Asari is here for her no matter what. The Asari is still trying to process what her lover just told her and tries to keep her excitement to herself. There are friends of theirs that may have passed on and they have already lost too many, so rejoicing in her lovers retirement is for later.

As the doors to the med bay open both of their nerves subside as they are met with one of the funniest things they have ever seen. It's a very nervous Krogan battle-master being yelled at by an elderly Human woman with a syringe. In the other bed is a very amused Eve that is shaking her head at the antics of the supposed tough Krogan.

Leaning against the door-way, Shepard smiles at everything that is going on. Feeling soft hands caress her arm she turns to see a relieved Asari. She gives her lover a quick kiss and leads them both into the room. When she had last been in the medical bay it looked like neither one of the Krogan's were going to make it. Chakwas seems to have been able to perform a miracle, and her friends seem to be recovering, but Shepard needs to ask them if they are alright for her own piece of mind.

"It's good to see you Eve." Shepard says with an outstretched hand, relief in her voice.

"Commander Shepard..." The female Krogan shakes the Humans hand and then pulls the smaller Human in a little closer. The smile on Kerry's face slowly starts to disappear as the Krogan grumbles out her next sentence.

"Why is your pregnant bondmate here? She should be in bed being waited on by you, not walking around and certainly not here on Tuchanka."

"Uh..." Shepard is happy that Eve seems to be okay, but has no idea where this is coming from. And with a look from Liara that says she is on her own, Kerry Wynette Ruth-Shepard knows she is in trouble.

"Ha...ha ha." Wrex can be heard laughing from the back of the room. "The great Commander Shepard...the Human who faced down multiple Reapers and did not flinch, is now feeling the wrath of a pregnant Krogan. Not a nice feeling is it?"

"And you won't be feeling too nice either Wrex after I kick you in the quad." Chakwas yells at the now silent Krogan. "Now get back on that table and if you give me anymore trouble, so help me I will take more than a chunk from your hide."

Realizing she is out numbered, Shepard puts her hands up in surrender and quickly turns to try and exit the room.

"I obviously came at a bad time so..."

"Your not going anywhere, Shepard!" Chakwas yells from the back of the med bay. Being successful in administering a sedative to the pain in the ass Krogan, the Normandy's doctor moves back into her office.

"Sit!" She says pointing to Shepard and Liara who do as they are told.

"Now I have a bone to pick with the both of you." She says, causing the both of them to lower their head like children who are about to be yelled at.

"Liara you have not been seen by a proper doctor for some-time." Before the Asari has time to argue, the Human doctor continues. "Don't argue with me... I talk to your father on a regular basis, so I know what you've been doing."

Only able to imagine the things that Liara's perverted sire has told Karin, the Commanders eyes widen in horror and the Asari nearly turns purple as she puts a hand in front of her face from the thought of what embarrassing things her father has said. Chakwas has always been good to the both of them, but piss her off and she made everyone feel like a scolded child, or an embarrassed one.

"Now that you have taken time away from your amorous activity you will have a proper examination done."

"Goddess this isn't happening." Liara tries to bury her head behind Shepard.

"Oh it's happening. Now lie down the both of you."

Before the Normandy doctor can perform her scans Shepard holds up her hand so she can ask the one question that has been on her mind since the med-bay doors opened. She motions for the elder Human to come closer so no one else can hear her.

"Please tell me I was seeing things when I came in here before?" She looks toward the two Krogan, then back at Karin. "Eve was..."

"Dead, yes I am aware of the status of my patients that I am attending to, Commander." Chakwas pauses for a moment and takes a deep breath. Her emotions are still running high since she just witnessed a miracle, again. "I appologize Shepard. I did not mean to sound so short. But in all actuality both Krogan had passed on, and I thought for good but..." Her focus is on her thoughts of what she has just been witness too. How something so simple has been able to save the lives of two Krogan so badly wounded that she had given up hope on, will baffle her for the rest of her days, but here they are. Hearing Liara speak brings her back to the present time.

"Goddess, that is awful. What did you do to revive them?" Liara asks, in concern.

"You must never speak of this." Chakwas warns, and when she recieves a nod from the both of them she continues. "I gave them a vile of your blood Commander, so Miranda has every right to be concerned. I took a sample from you before and after our little excursion to Earth, so I could compare it and I've never seen anything like this. Whatever tech, Cerberus put into your body again has the ability to not only heal and cure you faster then I've ever witnessed, but also can heal others as well. I had just finished administering it to Wrex when you walked in and you saw his reaction."

Chakwas goes on to inform them how initially giving a small dose to them both was like giving someone a high concentration of adrenaline and they both woke up in a blood rage of sorts.

"But how did you know it would work?" Kerry's asks after it sinks in a little.

"I gave your space hampster a small amount and he..."

"Mr. Whiskers is alive?!" Kerry shouts. She is beyond excited and everyone in the room is starring at the 'odd' behaving Human. "Do you think it'll work on my fish?"

"It doesn't work that way." Chakwas is regretting opening her mouth and is now trying to get Shepard to be queit. "The hampster had been dead for a while so consequently it only survived for a short time. So I want to keep them both under observation for a few days, so I know for sure but..."

"What if we try it on other animals we find?" Shepard stands up from the examination table and heads towards her old cabin, completely ignoring the conversation. She continues to ramble on about how cool it would be to able to revive some husks so she could have her own live action Walking Dead video game, leaving Chakwas and Liara shaking their heads.

"You do know you are marrying...?"

"A child?" Liara finishes the doctors question. "Yes I am made aware of that fact each day I am with her." Liara says as she gets up to follow her juvenile acting lover. The Asari wouldn't have it any other way even with Kerry acting the way she does. She's alive, healthy, and about to leave all of the fighting behind so they can start a family, and that is all that matters.

X

X

X

X

**Eden Prime:**

Looking out over the millions of people in the crowd of every race, Shepard runs her hands down the front of her dress shirt to straighten out her uniform for the fifth time. She's never been one to be nervous about speaking in public but this will be one of the largest crowds she's ever had to talk in front of. Even with security everywhere and the entire crowd having been searched, the former Alliance Commander and council Spectre is observing everything. It is still amazing that even with the recovery process, it took no time at all to get this ceremony set up. People seemed to have stopped in the middle of it all and head to Eden Prime just to hear what Shepard has to say. This will be her last act as a member of the military and she knows it will take some getting used too. As much as she will miss her old life she is definitly looking forward to this new chapter.

After they left Tuchanka and she talked it over with Liara some more, Shepard came to the realization that retiring is the best option. She had contacted Hackett and they discussed it at length, and the Admiral accepted her resignation but with conditions. Her position in the Alliance Navy and status as a council Spectre will always be there for her to come back to. They had discussed a few more topics about going after Sederis and how the council is preparing a team to go to another system and search out a new home.

It had been in the planning stage during the war and was to be implemented if the crucible didn't fire, but never given the go ahead. Now that Earth is uninhabitable and the decision to possibly evacuate Palaven is being considered, Hackett and the rest of the councilors are pushing for this project to move forward.

Shepard is curious to see who they will get to lead this expedition, but she is shaken from her thoughts when she feels a hand touch her own.

"Are you alright?" Liara asks. She is concerned that this speech will be difficult for her lover. There are many names that are being remembered today, but Liara knows that Shepard has her own list. At one point Shepard was blaming herself for the majority of them being gone... If she had only been a little faster or made certain decisions differently then more people would have survived...These were the thoughts that Shepard had, but after numerous melds and discussions with Liara and other friends she has been able to move past it. No matter, It is still going to be difficult, especially since there are empty chairs in the first row to represent those lost on the Normandy.

After receiving a nod and a quick kiss from her Human, Liara moves to her seat on the stage to the left of the podium. Every crew member who has ever set foot on the Normandy is on the stage facing the crowd. From upper officers to the lowest ranking soldier, each who has served are flanking the first Human Spectre. From Asari to Krogan and all races in between, everyone up there has stood next to, and fought side by side with the hero of the Galaxy, and are being honored as such. It brings a smile to the Asari while she looks out over the crowd at the countless people of every race who came to get a glimpse of someone Liara has had the opportunity of calling friend and more. Watching everyone's focus solely be on the Normandy's former commanding officer makes her feel that much more honored.

A loving feeling comes over the Asari and she places a hand on her stomach, and looks towards her lover. Liara swears she can feel their child's mood change and become happy at all of her thoughts, and it's making her own mood change for the better as well. All the Asari can think about is what their future will hold once this ceremony is over. Numerous questions begin to run through her mind like where they will live, but hearing her lovers voice brings her back to the here and now.

"Good morning..."

When she was introduced the reception was deafening and it took nearly fifteen minutes for everyone to calm down. Shepard was trying not to show any emotion but a smile did grace her lips. After everyone sits back down she is about to give her speech that she has written when she briefly glances at all of the people and the scenery that is Eden Prime. She smiles a little more as she realizes the significance of this planet. It's where her journey started and as much as she was reluctant to speak today, it's where her journey will end.

"It's hard to believe that this is where it all began. For me this is a place of many firsts over my career. It was my first mission that would lead to me becoming a Spectre. The first time I'd bare witness to a Reaper, and now this is the first time I have been apprehensive about doing a speech. Normally I am about to go into battle and feel the need to give my crew a pep-talk...not that they ever needed one, but this is different. You all came here today to listen to me pay homage to those that were lost and they deserve all of the respect I can give."

After a short pause and a deep breath to calm her nerves, Shepard continues.

"With all of these firsts, it is only fitting that this will be my last appearance as a member of the Spectre's and the Alliance."

The standing ovation and cheers of appreciation towards the Commander brings a tear to everyone's eye who is on the stage. The meaning behind the words that were just said to the people that shared the battlefield with Shepard means more than just the end of a career; it means the end of the journey they all started all those years ago. It means that after all of the death that surrounded them at every turn that the remaining crew memebers survived to see the end of the war to end all wars and it is because of their Commander. After a few more moments Shepard begins her speech.

"All gave some... some gave all."

"It is a Human saying, but if any statement applies here, it's that particular one."

"We are here to mourn the loss of those who are no longer with us...those that gave their lives to stop our enemy. An enemy that wanted to take one of our basic rights away from each and every one of us...free will. Every race from every part of the Galaxy picked up a weapon and took up arms against an enemy that seemed to be unbeatable. They were an enemy that were made up of our friends and loved ones and we were forced to make choices that may haunt us for the rest of our days. But with that being said you all need to know that if those hard choices were not made them we may not be here today. We were pushed to our limits, tested to see if we were willing to put aside our differences, pick up a weapon and fight next to one another, and we did. As far as I am concerned, everyone is a hero..."

"We need to continue to work together so we can continue to rebuild our galaxy so we can move past this horrible war and move into a future...our future, together..."

X

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**A few months later:**

Liara finds herself loving that moment when her bondmate gave the speech for the ages. By the time Shepard had finished talking it seemed like the entire crowd had been able to mourn their losses, became more determined then ever to get back to the recovery process as well as continue the peace and unity between the races.

It was her last mission as a Spectre, just like Shepard had said. After Shepard was done they said their goodbyes, left Eden Prime, and headed for Thessia. Aethtya had come up to Shepard after the speech was over and told her and Liara that they are to get their asses to Thessia and live in Benezias home. There was minimal damage done and Liara needed a proper home, and not some crap hole in the middle of nowhere.

Liara smiles at how protective her sire has become and every memory from that day forward had continued to replay in Liara's mind until today. Now she is concentrating on keeping her eyes open while her bondmate holds their newborn child. She has never witnessed her lover so happy as she is in this moment, and Liara wants to be able to witness each and every moment from now on. The Asari is exhausted though, and smiles lovingly at the two most important people in her life after she feels a kiss on her lips and Shepard whisper for her to get some sleep. That she needs her rest so they can begin their new life as a family, and more importantly that she loves her more than anytning.

Liara soon falls alseep, and Shepard is content with sitting in the chair beside her lover, propping her feet up so she can rest her newborn on her legs. And as she looks on at her daughter and watches how curious she is her thoughts turn to how difficult it has been to get to this moment. She thinks about those that were lost and smiles a little. As sad as it is Shepard knows that they all died so moments like this can happen. So moments like Wrex and Eve conceiving their first child, Tali being exonerated of all charges from the Qwib Qwib explosion and now being looked upon as a leader of her people. Shepard's not sure how her life got to this point, but in the end it was worth every second, and she would not change a thing.


End file.
